Meridian Funds, managed by ArrowMark Partners, released its “Meridian Hedged Equity Fund” third quarter 2024 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The significant move by the FED to cut the interest rate helped the market to stabilize. In the quarter, the fund appreciated 6.19% (net), outperforming its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, which returned 5.89%, and its secondary benchmark, the CBOE S&P 500 Buy/Write Index’s 5.54% return. It anticipates that capital preservation in bear markets will eventually play a significant role in the long-term compounding of returns. In addition, you can check the fund’s top 5 holdings to determine its best picks for 2024.
Meridian Hedged Equity Fund highlighted stocks like Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU), in the third quarter 2024 investor letter. Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU) is an identity company that develops biometric identity verification technology platforms. The one-month return of Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU) was -29.01%, and its shares gained 22.41% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On November 27, 2024, Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU) stock closed at $26.11 per share with a market capitalization of $3.64 billion.
Meridian Hedged Equity Fund stated the following regarding Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:
“Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU) is a technology platform that uses biometrics to connect individuals with their information, allowing for frictionless experiences across various sectors. Clear offers expedited passage through airport security checkpoints (CLEAR Plus) and partners with other businesses for identity verification services (CLEAR Verified). We believe Clear is well-positioned to benefit from the continued recovery in travel, the expansion of its addressable market through the integration of TSA PreCheck enrollment and renewals, and the growth potential of its identity platform in areas beyond travel, such as healthcare, hospitality, and financial services. The stock performed well in the quarter, driven by strong revenue growth, rising membership, and strategic price increases. This pricing power, combined with operating leverage, led to a beat on adjusted EBITDA during the period. Additionally, the company’s integration of TSA PreCheck is progressing ahead of expectations, further strengthening its growth outlook. We continue to hold our position in the company.”
A close-up of the fingers of a technician scanning an ID, verifying the Enrollment Verification process.
Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU) is not on our list of 31 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 25 hedge fund portfolios held Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU) at the end of the third quarter which was 24 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as NVIDIA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
