Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Stellar Bancorp Inc (STEL)

222 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in STEL. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↑ +32
Streak
3Q ▲
Buyers last Q
58%

Smart Money Signals — STEL

Based on 223 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 3 quarters in a row

last 6Q
For 3 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added STEL than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

100% of all-time peak
223 hedge funds hold STEL right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
📶

Steady growth — +18% more funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q
+34 new funds entered over the past year (+18% YoY). Gradual, steady growth in institutional ownership is generally a healthy signal — not a speculative rush, but consistent conviction.
🟡

Slight buying edge — 58% buying

121 buying87 selling
Last quarter: 121 funds bought or added vs 87 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.
📈

More new buyers each quarter (+34 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening a new STEL position: 16 → 22 → 23 → 57. A growing influx of new institutional buyers means the asset is still gathering momentum — the consensus hasn't fully saturated yet.
🔒

54% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 54% conviction (2yr+) ■ 19% medium ■ 27% new
120 out of 223 hedge funds have held STEL for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💰

Value +20% but shares only +2% — price-driven

Value
+19%
Shares
+2%
Last quarter: the total dollar value of institutional holdings rose +20%, but actual share count only changed +2%. The gap is explained by the stock's price rising — not new buying. Strong value growth with weak share growth means the rally is price momentum, not fresh institutional demand.
🚀

Acceleration phase — new buyers rushing in

25 → 16 → 22 → 23 → 57 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 16 → 22 → 23 → 57. The pace of institutional discovery is accelerating sharply. This is the 'hot idea' phase — the thesis is being passed from fund to fund. You are not late — the accumulation wave is still building.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 57% veterans vs 30% newcomers

■ 57% veterans ■ 13% 1-2yr ■ 30% new
Entry-cohort mix of 223 holders: 128 (57%) are 2+ year veterans, 28 entered 1–2 years ago, and 67 (30%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
✅

Strong quality — 38% AUM from major funds

38% from top-100 AUM funds
43 of 223 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 38% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
3.9
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.9/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — STEL

In 2026 Q1, 121 hedge funds were net buyers of STEL (57 opened a new position, 64 added to an existing one), while 87 reduced or exited (62 trimmed, 25 sold completely) — a 58% buyer ratio, indicating a slight buying edge. This marks 3 consecutive quarters of net institutional buying — a persistent conviction signal. 38% of total institutional value in STEL is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting strong institutional quality. Net fund flow last quarter: +32 funds (more new holders than closures). Total institutional holders: 223.

Hedge Fund Ownership: STEL

How many hedge funds hold STEL — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of STEL vs. share price

Market Analysis: STEL

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: STEL

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Stellar Bancorp Inc (STEL) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much STEL has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLF) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 79d ago
STEL
+5.0%
XLF
+9.5%

STEL outperformed XLF by -4.5% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 34d ago
STEL
+5.6%
XLF
+5.8%

Since the filing became public, STEL outperformed XLF by -0.2% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Limited Smart Money Interest

No strong consensus or elite conviction detected among institutional holders.

20 top-rated funds 0 high-conviction
Consensus
5.7
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
0.9
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: STEL
222 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in STEL. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 222 191 16.23%
13F Shares 33M 32M 2.12%
Total Value $1.18B $984M 19.92%
New Positions 56 23 +33
Increased Positions 64 62 +2
Closed Positions 25 19 +6
Reduced Positions 62 69 -7
Total Calls 0 0 -
Total Puts 0 0 -
PUT/CALL Ratio 0.0 0.0 Bullish

Statistics: STEL

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Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

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Total Cash (mrq) --
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Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

222 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in STEL. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 STEL holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Versor Investments LP 3.77% 42,054 $1.5M
2 FOCUS Wealth Advisors, LLC 2.72% 151,926 $5.6M
3 Water Island Capital LLC 1.76% 431,231 $15.8M
4 Harvest Management LLC 1.56% 88,000 $3.2M
5 Paragon Capital Management LLC 1.19% 65,848 $2.4M
6 Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P 1.14% 143,313 $5.2M
7 Teton Advisors, LLC 1.13% 43,800 $1.6M
8 Fortress Investment Group LLC 0.83% 89,200 $3.3M
9 Abc Arbitrage SA 0.78% 159,824 $5.9M
10 Beaumont Asset Management, L.L.C. 0.75% 45,801 $1.7M
11 Carlton Hofferkamp & Jenks Wealth Management, LLC 0.61% 48,384 $1.8M
12 Callahan Advisors, LLC 0.50% 162,161 $5.9M
13 AQR Arbitrage LLC 0.41% 685,808 $25.1M
14 Alpine Associates Management INC. 0.41% 188,650 $6.9M
15 Fca Corp /Tx 0.40% 38,876 $1.4M
16 Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. 0.39% 532,000 $19.5M
17 Magnetar Financial LLC 0.30% 812,216 $29.7M
18 Clear Trail Advisors, LLC 0.28% 46,368 $1.7M
19 Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors, Inc. 0.23% 65,848 $2.4M
20 Rahlfs Capital, LLC 0.20% 7,581 $278K
21 King Luther Capital Management Corp 0.20% 1,283,086 $47.0M
22 Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc 0.18% 82,209 $3.0M
23 Patron Partners, LLC 0.17% 10,658 $390K
24 Segment Wealth Management, LLC 0.17% 79,999 $2.9M
25 Kintayl Capital LP 0.15% 7,756 $284K
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Stellar Bancorp Inc (STEL)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for STEL?

Buying streak — 3 quarters in a row: For 3 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added STEL than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for STEL?

Slight buying edge — 58% buying: Last quarter: 121 funds bought or added vs 87 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.

What is the fund quality score for STEL holders?

Strong quality — 38% AUM from major funds: 43 of 223 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 38% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held STEL?

54% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 120 out of 223 hedge funds have held STEL for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Stellar Bancorp Inc (STEL) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, STEL has moved +5.6% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +5.8% for the XLF sector ETF — an outperformance of -0.2%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), STEL has gained +5.0% vs +9.5% for XLF. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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