Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Among Billionaire Chris Hohn's Stock Picks with Huge Upside Potential
The Children's Investment Fund Management, also known as TCI Fund Management, is a British hedge fund firm headquartered in London and founded in 2003 by Sir Christopher Anthony Hohn. Hohn, a British billionaire and Harvard MBA graduate (Baker Scholar), also serves as the fund's portfolio manager. TCI is distinguished by its value-oriented, fundamental investment philosophy and its focus on long-term, high-conviction positions in globally competitive businesses. The fund employs a private equity-style approach to public market investing, relying on deep fundamental research, constructive engagement with company management, and a willingness to use shareholder activism when necessary to drive performance. Known for its concentrated portfolio structure, the TCI Master Fund maximizes alpha by targeting high-quality companies with sustainable competitive advantages and predictable free cash flow.
TCI's investment strategy includes opportunistic ventures into corporate transformations and special situations. In line with its activist reputation, the firm is prepared to exert influence on company direction and governance when it deems necessary to unlock shareholder value. This assertive approach has helped cement TCI's reputation as one of the most successful and influential hedge funds in the world.
A significant aspect of TCI's operations is its real estate lending business, which was launched in 2014 under the TCI Real Estate Partners Lending Funds. These funds invest alongside The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the philanthropic arm initially supported by the fund's profits. The lending strategy centers on first mortgage and senior secured lending for high-quality assets, with a particular focus on prime locations in major North American and European cities. This real estate arm reflects TCI's broader investment philosophy, seeking security, quality, and long-term value.
As of Q4 2024, TCI managed $42.4 billion in securities across just nine core stock holdings, reflecting its highly concentrated and conviction-driven investment approach. The firm's blend of fundamental analysis, disciplined value investing, and strategic activism continues to position it as a powerful force in global capital markets. Through its unique alignment of investment and philanthropic missions, TCI also exemplifies how hedge funds can blend financial performance with broader societal impact.
For this article, we searched through TCI Fund Management's Q4 2024 13F filings to identify billionaire Chris Hohn's stock picks with the highest upside potential. We compiled the equities with upside potential higher than 8% at the time of writing this article and analyzed why they stood out as sound potential investments. Finally, we ranked the stocks based on the ascending order of their upside potential. To assist readers with more context, we mentioned the hedge fund sentiment around each stock using data from 1,009 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 363.5% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 208 percentage points ().
A development team working together to create the next version of Windows.Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), a leading multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington, delivered a strong third-quarter performance that surpassed analyst expectations across all key metrics. The company reported earnings per share of $3.46, beating the consensus estimate of $3.23, and reflecting an 18% year-over-year increase in net income to $25.8 billion. Revenue for the quarter reached $70.1 billion, up 13% from the same period last year, also outperforming the projected $68.53 billion.
Segment-wise, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s 'Intelligent Cloud' division, which includes Azure and server products, generated $26.8 billion in revenue, a 21% year-over-year increase, driven by robust enterprise demand for AI infrastructure and cloud solutions. 'Productivity and Business Processes,' home to Microsoft 365, LinkedIn, and Dynamics, posted revenue of $29.9 billion, up 10% year-on-year, while 'More Personal Computing,' which includes Windows, Xbox, and Bing, brought in $13.4 billion, a 6% increase.
Capital expenditures rose sharply to $16.7 billion, up 52% year over year, exceeding analyst expectations and highlighting Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s aggressive investment in AI and cloud infrastructure. While the company has recently paused or canceled several data center leases, the surge in spending underscores its commitment to scaling capacity in high-demand areas, particularly around AI workloads.
CEO Satya Nadella emphasized that AI and cloud technologies are becoming fundamental to business efficiency and innovation across industries. However, market concerns linger over potential oversupply in AI computing resources, particularly given Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s $14 billion investment in OpenAI and the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI.
Despite these uncertainties, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s diversified revenue streams, dominant position in enterprise software, and ongoing AI leadership position it well for continued long-term growth. The company's ability to consistently outperform expectations reinforces its standing as a core holding in institutional portfolios.
Overall, MSFT ranks 4th on our list of Billionaire Chris Hohn's stock picks with huge upside potential. While we acknowledge the potential of these stock picks, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MSFT but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at .
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