The Mormon Church's secretive $100 billion fund slashed its Exxon, Marriott, and Wells Fargo stakes last quarter
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The Mormon Church's secretive $100 billion investment fund slashed its stakes in Exxon Mobil, Wells Fargo, and Marriott International in the first quarter, according to a SEC filing released this week.
Ensign Peak Advisors, theThe fund counted all three stocks among its top 50 holdings by market value at the end of December. The share sales, combined with the trio's stock prices slumping more than 40% in the first quarter, meant the three positions' combined value shrunk by nearly two-thirds to below $280 million.
Ensign declined to comment, citing a policy of not commenting on individual holdings.Notably, Ensign may have capitalized on the market meltdown to bolster some of its biggest holdings at a discount.
During the quarter, it added to 13 of its top 20 positions by market value at the end of December. For example, it boosted its Microsoft position by 159,000 shares and added more than 600,000 JPMorgan shares. Ensign made many other tweaks to its portfolio. For instance, it more than quadrupled its stake in Zoom Video Communications, added small stakes in Tiffany & Co and Planet Fitness, and exited its Slack and Box positions.The church fund, which is more than 50 years old, avoids investing in businesses that Mormons find objectionable.
Tobacco titan Philip Morris, gambling giant Caesars Entertainment, and caffeine-sellers Starbucks and Coca-Cola are just a few examples of stocks it avoids.
Here's a chart showing the fund's changes to some of its biggest holdings last quarter:
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