Billionaire Dan Loeb Slashed Third Point's Stake in Amazon and Piled Into This Consumer-Facing Stock That's Gained 3,750% Since Its IPO

Source The Motley Fool

Key Points

  • Form 13Fs are quarterly filings that allow investors to track which stocks Wall Street's preeminent money managers have been buying and selling.

  • Billionaire Dan Loeb has cut his fund's stake in Amazon by 57% since the midpoint of 2024, and profit-taking might be only part of the story.

  • Meanwhile, a historical outperformer became Third Point's biggest new addition in the fourth quarter -- but this investment is far from a slam-dunk.

  • 10 stocks we like better than Chipotle Mexican Grill ›

Few quarterly data releases are more valuable to investors than the filing of Form 13Fs with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A 13F allows investors to track which stocks Wall Street's prominent money managers bought and sold in the latest quarter (in this instance, the fourth quarter).

Billionaire investor Dan Loeb of Third Point certainly fits the bill of a fund manager whose trading activity is closely monitored by investors. According to Third Point's 13F detailing fourth-quarter trades, Loeb slashed his stake in "Magnificent Seven" member Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and loaded up on more than 4.7 million shares of a consumer-facing favorite that's skyrocketed over 3,700% since its initial public offering (IPO).

Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »

A stock chart displayed on a computer monitor that's reflecting on the eyeglasses of a money manager.

Image source: Getty Images.

Billionaire Dan Loeb sent almost a quarter of his fund's Amazon shares packing

Third Point's billionaire boss is a relatively active investor. During the fourth quarter, he exited 13 stocks and reduced his fund's stake in 14 others, including dual-industry leader Amazon. The 645,000 shares sold cut Third Point's position in the company by 23%. Moreover, it marks a 57% reduction since the midpoint of 2024.

Profit-taking is one reason for this selling, but it may not be the only one. On average, Loeb has held his top-10 holdings by market cap for just shy of one year, signaling that he's not afraid to cash in his chips when the opportunity presents itself. With Amazon's shares hitting an all-time high of more than $250 during the fourth quarter, Loeb clearly saw an opportunity to take some profit.

But Loeb may also be concerned about tech stock valuations. While he's signaled that companies such as Amazon are well-positioned for success amid the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, he views the tech sector and select crowded tech trades as being ripe for short-sellers.

There's no question that the stock market is historically pricey and has been aided by the rise of AI. If history rhymes and premium stock valuations prove unsustainable, market leaders, such as the Magnificent Seven, may be among the hardest hit.

A Chipotle burrito bowl next to tortilla chips and a cup filled with a cheese dip.

Image source: Chipotle.

Third Point's chief investor loaded up on a consumer favorite, Chipotle

On the other hand, Dan Loeb added to 11 existing holdings and opened 11 new positions during the December-ended quarter. This includes a newly opened 4,725,000-share stake in fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG).

Even though shares of Chipotle have fallen about 50% from their all-time high, they're still up 3,750% since its January 2006 IPO. Gains of this magnitude don't occur by accident. Rather, they reflect well-defined competitive advantages.

Chipotle's commitment to using locally sourced vegetables (when possible) and responsibly raised meats has resonated with a younger audience. Furthermore, the addition of mobile order-devoted drive-thru lanes ("Chipotlanes") helped the company excel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, outsize sales growth and strong pricing power have been the norm.

However, Loeb's newest position isn't a slam-dunk, despite what its track record shows. Negative comparable-restaurant sales in 2025 suggest inflationary pressures are taking their toll.

Although Chipotle Mexican Grill's forward price-to-earnings ratio of 25 is far more palatable than it was two years ago, it may still be a tough pill to swallow for value-focused investors until organic growth returns.

Should you buy stock in Chipotle Mexican Grill right now?

Before you buy stock in Chipotle Mexican Grill, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Chipotle Mexican Grill wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of March 16, 2026.

Sean Williams has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short March 2026 $42.50 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Natural Gas sinks to pivotal level as China’s demand slumpsNatural Gas price (XNG/USD) edges lower and sinks to $2.56 on Monday, extending its losing streak for the fifth day in a row. The move comes on the back of China cutting its Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) imports after prices rose above $3.0 in June. It
Author  FXStreet
Jul 01, 2024
Natural Gas price (XNG/USD) edges lower and sinks to $2.56 on Monday, extending its losing streak for the fifth day in a row. The move comes on the back of China cutting its Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) imports after prices rose above $3.0 in June. It
placeholder
Ethereum (ETH) Price Closes Above $3,900 — Is a New All-Time High Possible Before 2024 Ends?Once again, the price of Ethereum (ETH) has risen above $3,900. This bounce has hinted at a further price increase for the altcoin before the end of the year.
Author  Beincrypto
Dec 17, 2024
Once again, the price of Ethereum (ETH) has risen above $3,900. This bounce has hinted at a further price increase for the altcoin before the end of the year.
placeholder
ECB Policy Outlook for 2026: What It Could Mean for the Euro’s Next MoveWith the ECB likely holding rates steady at 2.15% and the Fed potentially extending cuts into 2026, EUR/USD may test 1.20 if Eurozone growth proves resilient, but weaker growth and an ECB pivot could pull the pair back toward 1.13 and potentially 1.10.
Author  Mitrade
Dec 26, 2025
With the ECB likely holding rates steady at 2.15% and the Fed potentially extending cuts into 2026, EUR/USD may test 1.20 if Eurozone growth proves resilient, but weaker growth and an ECB pivot could pull the pair back toward 1.13 and potentially 1.10.
placeholder
Gold weakens as inflation concerns lift US bond yields and USD; downside remains cushionedGold (XAU/USD) trades with a negative bias for the second consecutive day on Thursday, though it lacks follow-through selling and stalls the intraday slide near the $5,125 area.
Author  FXStreet
Mar 12, Thu
Gold (XAU/USD) trades with a negative bias for the second consecutive day on Thursday, though it lacks follow-through selling and stalls the intraday slide near the $5,125 area.
placeholder
Breaking: Gold falls below $5,000 as oil-driven inflation fears weighGold price (XAU/USD) tumbles to around $4,980 during the early Asian session on Monday. The precious metal faces some selling pressure despite intense geopolitical conflict in the Middle East. Traders will closely monitor the developments surrounding the United States (US)-Israel war with Iran. 
Author  FXStreet
9 hours ago
Gold price (XAU/USD) tumbles to around $4,980 during the early Asian session on Monday. The precious metal faces some selling pressure despite intense geopolitical conflict in the Middle East. Traders will closely monitor the developments surrounding the United States (US)-Israel war with Iran. 
goTop
quote