Sarah Mitchell
Education Editor
Investment Education Editor at 13F Insight. Breaks down complex institutional data into actionable insights for individual investors.
A note from Sarah
Hi, I'm Sarah. I spent four years at Vanguard's Investor Education team, where my whole job was making 401(k) statements feel less like tax forms and more like something a person could actually understand.
I'm here at 13F Insight to do the same thing for institutional data. If you've ever read a headline like "Berkshire Bought Apple" and thought "okay but what does that actually mean for me," that's the gap I want to close.
I'll never assume you know what a CUSIP is. I'll always tell you why a number matters before I give you the number. And if a guide of mine ever leaves you more confused than you started, that's on me — let me know and I'll rewrite it.
Articles by Sarah Mitchell (815)
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Founder-Led Companies: Why Investors Seek Them
Many long-term investors favor founder-led companies for their alignment and long-term mindset. Here's why the theme recurs in 13Fs — and the governance risks.
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Insurance Float: Why Insurers Hold Big Stock Portfolios
Insurers like Berkshire run huge equity 13Fs thanks to float — premiums they invest before paying claims. Here's how float works and why it makes insurers great investors.
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Pension Funds as 13F Filers: How to Read Them
CalPERS and state retirement systems file 13Fs too — but their books are largely indexed and externally managed. Here's how to read a pension fund's filing.
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Capital Allocation and Buybacks: Reading How Firms Use Cash
How management spends a company's cash — reinvesting, acquiring, or buying back stock — can make or break an investment. Here's why it shapes quality 13F portfolios.
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Return on Invested Capital: The Quality Metric
ROIC measures how well a company turns capital into profit, and it's the number quality investors care about most. Here's why ROIC drives so many 13F portfolios.
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What Is an Economic Moat? A Quality-Investing Guide
A moat is the durable competitive advantage that lets a company defend its profits for years. Here are the types of moats and how to spot a moat-driven 13F.
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What a 13F Aggregates: One Filer, Many Funds
A big firm's 13F isn't one portfolio — it rolls up many funds, accounts, and strategies into one filing. Here's why that changes how you read it.
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What Are Tiger Cubs? The Hedge Fund Family Tree
Lone Pine, Viking, Coatue, Tiger Global share an ancestor: Julian Robertson's Tiger Management. Here's what the Tiger cubs are and what their 13Fs have in common.
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Institutional Ownership and Free Float in a 13F
A billion-dollar stake means different things in different companies. Here's how institutional ownership % and free float give a 13F position its real context.
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Low-Volatility Investing: Winning by Losing Less
Low-volatility managers aim for a smoother ride — solid returns with smaller drawdowns. Here's what low-vol investing is and how to spot it in a 13F.
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Confidential Treatment: Why Some 13F Holdings Are Hidden
Sometimes a 13F is missing positions on purpose. Confidential treatment lets funds temporarily hide holdings. Here's how it works and what a later reveal means.
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Can You Copy a Hedge Fund's 13F?
Cloning a famous fund's 13F sounds like a free ride on pro research. Here's why it works less well than it looks — and how to use 13F data the smarter way.
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Form 4 vs 13F: Two Windows Into Smart Money
A 13F shows what institutions own; a Form 4 shows what insiders trade. Here's how the two filings differ and how to read them together for a fuller signal.
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How to See Which Funds Own a Stock
13F data works stock-first too: pick a ticker and see its institutional holders. Here's how to read a stock's holder base — and filter real conviction from passive ownership.
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GOOG vs GOOGL: Why a 13F Lists Alphabet Twice
Alphabet shows up as both GOOG and GOOGL in 13Fs — two share classes, not a duplicate. Here's the difference and why you should combine them to gauge exposure.
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Dividend-Growth Investing: Reading an Income 13F
Owning companies that raise dividends yearly is different from chasing the highest yield. Here's what dividend-growth investing is and how to spot it in a 13F.
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Why Active Funds Hold S&P 500 and Nasdaq ETFs
Why would a stock-picker own the index it's trying to beat? Index ETFs in active 13Fs are usually beta sleeves or cash management. Here's how to read them.
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What a 13F Does Not Show: The Blind Spots
A 13F is only a slice of a fund's portfolio. It hides shorts, cash, bonds, and foreign holdings. Here's what 13F filings leave out — and how to read them anyway.
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Why a 13F Is Already Weeks Old When You Read It
A 13F reports holdings as of quarter-end and can be filed 45 days later — so it's a rear-view mirror. Here's how the reporting lag works and when it matters.
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Value vs Growth: Reading a Fund's Style From Its 13F
A fund's holdings reveal whether it's a value or growth investor — often in the first few names. Here's how to read style from a 13F, with real examples.