David Tepper : le roi de la dette en difficulté

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David Tepper

Appaloosa Management

David Tepper — Appaloosa Management
Appaloosa
Fonds principal
5,9 Md $
Valeur du portefeuille 13F
Distressed · Opportuniste
Style d'investissement

Profil et philosophie d'investissement

Appaloosa Management, le fonds de David Tepper, a réduit son exposition à la Chine au premier trimestre 2026, recentrant son attention sur les leaders technologiques américains. Amazon demeure sa première position, mais il a nettement renforcé ses paris sur Micron Technology et Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) afin de capter le super-cycle du matériel lié à l'IA. Le style opportuniste de Tepper lui permet de pivoter rapidement entre les secteurs pour suivre les meilleurs rendements ajustés du risque.

Track Record

Tepper founded Appaloosa Management in 1993 after leaving Goldman's high-yield desk. Through 2019 (when he converted to a family office structure), Appaloosa compounded at roughly 25% net annualized, one of the strongest long-term track records in distressed and event-driven investing. The 2009 financial-sector trade alone reportedly netted around $7 billion in personal profit and pushed AUM toward $20 billion at peak. Institutional Investor named him Hedge Fund Manager of the Year in 2009. He also owns the Carolina Panthers (NFL) and Charlotte FC, funded largely from Appaloosa profits.

Trades emblématiques

Bank stocks, March 2009
With Citigroup near $1 and BAC under $4, Tepper read Treasury's Capital Assistance Program as a de facto government backstop. He loaded up on bank common, preferreds and junior debt while peers were forced sellers. By year-end the position was up multiples and Appaloosa returned roughly 130% net for 2009, the trade that defined his career.
Junk bonds, 2002 telecom blowup
After WorldCom and the telecom-debt collapse, Tepper bought distressed paper from forced sellers across the capital structure. As the cycle turned in 2003, recoveries pushed Appaloosa up about 150% for the year, cementing his reputation for stepping in when liquidity vanishes and spreads gap to crisis levels.
Don't fight the Fed, September 2010
On CNBC he laid out a simple frame: either the economy recovers and stocks rise, or it weakens and the Fed prints, which also lifts stocks. The 'Tepper rally' followed. He had positioned long equities and high-yield before the call, and rode the QE2 tape into 2011 with one of the best risk-adjusted years in the industry.

Stratégie actuelle (2026)

Appaloosa's Q1 2026 13F continues to lean heavily into US-listed China tech and US mega-cap AI. Alibaba remains the single largest position, alongside large stakes in PDD, JD and Baidu — a bet that Beijing's stimulus pivot and consumer recovery finally close the valuation gap. On the US side, Tepper still holds material positions in Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia and Alphabet, treating them as the operating leverage on AI capex. He has trimmed financials and selectively reduced energy. The portfolio is concentrated, with the top ten names typically running above 70% of disclosed long equity. The macro thesis: Fed cuts plus Chinese reflation drive a parallel earnings recovery in both regions, with mega-cap tech as the cleanest expression.

BMI

BMI Counter-Take

Tepper's edge has always been timing the policy pivot, and the China book is a textbook attempt at it: cheap multiples, hated tape, government finally pushing on the gas. The risk is that the pivot keeps stalling and the regulatory tail never fully goes away, leaving the Alibaba thesis as a value trap with geopolitical optionality. We like the US mega-cap allocation as the hedge: if China disappoints, AI capex still funds the print. What we would not copy is the concentration. Tepper can afford 20%+ in a single Chinese ADR; most readers cannot. Take the framework, not the position size.

Portefeuille actuel

DERNIER 13F 2026-03-31

Dernière déclaration SEC Form 13F. Valeur totale du portefeuille: 5,17 Md €. Positions: 31 positions.

TitreActionsΔ vs préc.Valeur (€)Portefeuille %
Amazon Com Inc.4,32 M+98.2%785 M €15,2 %
Micron Technology Inc.1,67 M+11.0%491 M €9,48 %
Alphabet Inc.1,73 M-3.0%433 M €8,38 %
Uber Technologies Inc.6,33 M+242.3%397 M €7,68 %
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufac1,33 M+17.5%391 M €7,56 %
Alibaba Group Hldg Ltd.3,47 M-32.6%379 M €7,33 %
Vistra Corp.2,02 M+114.0%265 M €5,12 %
Ishares Inc.2,40 M+28.0%257 M €4,98 %
Nvidia Corporation1,47 M-13.4%224 M €4,33 %
Nrg Energy Inc.1,73 M+5.8%221 M €4,27 %

SOURCE : SEC Form 13F (2026-05-15). BMI Smart Money Tracker.

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