Zeke Ashton Sells Greenlight Capital and Vector Group, Buys Parker and Alphabet

His largest 3rd-quarter trades include 5 new buys

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Nov 23, 2015
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Zeke Ashton (Trades, Portfolio) is the managing partner of Centaur Capital Partners and manages the investments for the Centaur Value Fund.

He manages a portfolio composed of 32 stocks with total value of $64 million and the following are his most weighted trades during the third quarter.

Ashton sold out his shares of Greenlight Capital Re Ltd. (GLRE) with an impact of -4.71% on the portfolio.

The company writes property and casualty reinsurance business as well as long-term business. Currently, it manages its business on the basis of one operating segment, being property and casualty reinsurance. Greenlight Capital Re reported disappointing results for the third quarter and it reported losses on both its underwriting and investment portfolios. It had a net investment loss of 14.2% on Greenlight Re's investment portfolio compared to a net investment loss of 3.7% in the third quarter of 2014.

The stock is trading with a forward P/E ratio of 5.39 and has been as high as $33.87 and as low as $19.96 in the past year. It is currently 39.53% below its 52-week high and 2.61% above its 52-week low. According to the DCF calculator, the company looks undervalued by 16%.

The company's main shareholder among the gurus is Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 2.47% of outstanding shares, followed by Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.92% and Ruane Cunniff (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.88%.

The investor sold out his shares of Vector Group Ltd. (VGR) with an impact of -4.34% on the portfolio.

The company operates as a holding company and is engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States and the real estate business through its subsidiaries. Its operating business segment includes: Tobacco and Real Estate segment. Third quarter 2015 revenues increased by $30 million, compared to the third quarter of 2014 and the recorded operating income was $7 million more compared to operating income in the same quarter of a year before.

The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 47.30 and has been as high as $25.87 and as low as $19.83 in the past year. It is currently 4.45% below its 52-week high and 24.66% above its 52-week low. According to the DCF calculator, the company looks highly overpriced by 314%.

Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) is the company's leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 4.72% of outstanding shares, followed by the firm NWQ Managers (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.32% and Paul Tudor Jones (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.02%.

Centaur Capital Partners bought 23,000 shares of Parker Hannifin Corp. (PH) with an impact of 3.5% on the portfolio.

The company is a diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for mobile, industrial and aerospace markets.

The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 15.90 and has been as high as $133.41 and as low as $93.47 in the past year. It is currently 22.25% below its 52-week high and 10.98% above its 52-week low. According to the DCF calculator, the company looks overpriced by 18%.

The company's main shareholder among the gurus is Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 2.59% of outstanding shares, followed by HOTCHKIS & WILEY with 1.87% and Diamond Hill Capital (Trades, Portfolio) with 1.8%.

The investor bought 3,000 shares of Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) with an impact of 2.86% on the portfolio.

The company changed its name from Google Inc. to Alphabet Inc. on Oct. 5 and created a new entity named Google Inc. that became the wholly owned direct subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., the new public holding company. It operates through subsidiaries including Google, which is engaged in improving the ways people connect with information. Third-quarter results show the strength of Google's business, particularly in mobile search in which revenue had a growth of 13% year over year, and constant currency revenue grew by 21% year over year.

The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 33.50 and has been as high as $757.92 and as low as $487.56 in the past year. It is currently 0.17% below its 52-week high and 55.18% above its 52-week low. According to the DCF calculator, the company looks overpriced by 22%.

Dodge & Cox is the company's leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 0.58% of outstanding shares, followed by PRIMECAP Management (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.37% and Chris Davis (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.22%.

Centaur Capital Partners bought 75,000 shares of Tetra Technologies Inc. (TTI) with an impact of 2.85% on the portfolio.

The company is a geographically diversified oil and gas services company, focused on completion fluids and associated products and services, water management, after-frac flow back, production well testing, offshore rig cooling, compression-based production enhancement and selected offshore services including well plugging and abandonment, decommissioning, and diving. During the third quarter net income attributable to TETRA shareholders grew by 39% and income before taxes had an increase of 75% from the same quarter of a year before. Third quarter adjusted EBITDA grew by 33% from the third quarter of 2014.

The stock is trading with a forward P/E ratio of 40.16 and has been as high as $9.09 and as low as $4.62 in the past year. It is currently 2.86% below its 52-week high and 91.13% above its 52-week low.

The guru with the largest stake of the company Steven Cohen (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 0.58% of outstanding shares, followed by Zeke Ashton (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.09% and Paul Tudor Jones with 0.03%.

Ashton bought 75,000 shares of CRA International Inc. (CRAI) with an impact of 2.53% on the portfolio.

The company is a consulting firm specializing in providing economic, financial and management consulting services. It advises clients on economic and financial matters pertaining to litigation and regulatory proceedings, and guide corporations through critical business strategy and performance-related issues.

The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 16.50 and has been as high as $32.50 and as low as $20.82 in the past year. It is currently 30.65% below its 52-week high and 8.26% above its 52-week low. According to the DCF calculator, the company looks overpriced by 12%.

Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio) is the guru holding the largest stake of outstanding shares of the company, 2.85%, followed by Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with 2.15% and Zeke Ashton (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.83%.

He bought 70,000 shares of Blucora Inc. (BCOR) with an impact of 1.51% on the portfolio.

The company was named InfoSpace Inc. prior to June 2012. The company operates as a diverse group of Internet businesses. The company operates in three segments; Search, Tax Preparation and Ecommerce. The third quarter was highlighted by strong year-over-year performance at itsTaxACT business.

The stock is trading with a forward P/E ratio of 9.66 and has been as high as $16.66 and as low as $8.85 in the past year. It is currently 39.32% below its 52-week high and 14.24% above its 52-week low.

The company's main shareholder among the gurus is Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 2.67% of outstanding shares, followed by Mario Gabelli (Trades, Portfolio) with 1.35% and Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.56%.

Ashton increased his stake in FLIR Systems Inc. (FLIR) by 49.25% with an impact of 1.45% on the portfolio.

FLIR Systems is engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of thermal imaging systems. The company’s products are used in a variety of applications in commercial, industrial and government markets. During the third quarter as foreign currency exchange fluctuations negatively affected revenue, FLIR's revenue grew by 2% compared to third quarter 2014 and on a constant-currency basis, revenue for the third quarter was up 6% compared to the prior year,

The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 17.30 and has been as high as $34.46 and as low as $25.12 in the past year. It is currently 13.26% below its 52-week high and 18.99% above its 52-week low. According to the DCF calculator, the company looks overpriced by 6%.

Manning & Napier Advisors Inc. is the firm that with a stake of 5.15% of outstanding shares is the main shareholder of the company, followed by Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio) with 1.24% and Columbia Wanger (Trades, Portfolio) with 1.13%.

The investor reduced his stake in Trinity Biotech PLC. (TRIB) by 35.42% with an impact of 1.32% on the portfolio.

The company develops, acquires, manufactures and markets medical diagnostic products for the clinical laboratory and point-of-care (POC) segments of the diagnostic market. These products are used to detect autoimmune, infectious and sexually transmitted diseases, diabetes and disorders of the blood, liver and intestine.

The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 21.20 and has been as high as $20.24 and as low as $10.83 in the past year. It is currently 42.89% below its 52-week high and 6.74% above its 52-week low. According to the DCF calculator, the company looks undervalued by 10%.

The company's main shareholder among the gurus is Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 2.53% of outstanding shares, followed by Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.93% and Zeke Ashton (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.33%.

The investor increased his shares of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (KLIC) by 21.34% with an impact of 1.26% on the portfolio.

The company designs, manufactures and sells capital equipment and expendable tools used to assemble semiconductor devices, including integrated circuits, high- and low-powered discrete devices, LEDs and power modules.

The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 17.00 and has been as high as $16.54 and as low as $8.80 in the past year. It is currently 31.80% below its 52-week high and 28.18% above its 52-week low. According to the DCF calculator, the company looks overpriced by 14%.

Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) holds 2.33% of outstanding shares and is the main shareholder, followed by Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio) with 2.08% and Zeke Ashton (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.68%.