GB Meka
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Lesson 6 of 6 · 5 min · pass for +50 XP

Following the whales with 13F, and knowing its limits

Whale data is useful, as long as you know what it tells you and what it doesn't.

1What is a 13F?

Funds that manage $100 million or more in US stocks must report their holdings to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) every quarter. This site summarizes those reports: who holds what, and who added or sold.

2Key limitations

It's late: funds can file up to 45 days after the quarter ends. By the time we see it, the whale may already have sold.

It's incomplete: you only see long positions in US stocks. You don't see short positions, cash, or other assets.

Different goals: whales often hold for years and run huge portfolios. Their timing may not fit your money or your time frame.

3How to use it well

Use it as a starting point for ideas, then do your own homework: what the business does, how its profits look, how today's price compares with what the whale paid, and always set your own stop-loss.

🎯 Quiz 2 of 3 right: +50 XP · all correct: +20

Question 1

1. About how far behind actual trades can a 13F report be?

Question 2

2. What does a 13F NOT show?

Question 3

3. You see a whale buy stock X. What should you do?

For educational purposes only — not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Investing involves risk.