Bill Miller - Miller Value Partners

Bill Miller - Miller Value Partners LLC Q1 2025 Portfolio

Miller Value Partners, a hedge fund managed by Bill Miller, disclosed 34 security holdings in their SEC 13F filing for the first quarter of 2025, with a total portfolio value of $219,410,716

Bill Miller's Miller Value Partners

Q1 2025 Holdings and Strategic Analysis

As of Q1 2025, Bill Miller's portfolio at Miller Value Partners continues to showcase his value-oriented approach with significant shifts from the previous quarter. The data reveals a strategic realignment, with substantial increases in certain long-held positions alongside selective reductions and several new additions that signal an evolving investment thesis.

Top Holdings

1
LNC
Lincoln National Corp
Added 5.18%
Portfolio: 8.50%
Shares: 519,255
Reported Price: $35.91
Value: $18,646,447
Lincoln National, a provider of insurance and retirement products, continues to be Miller's largest position with a modest increase in shares. The position now represents 8.5% of the portfolio, underscoring Miller's confidence in the financial sector's recovery potential.
2
NBR
Nabors Industries Ltd
Added 38.25%
Portfolio: 7.39%
Shares: 388,745
Reported Price: $41.71
Value: $16,214,554
Nabors Industries, an oil and gas drilling contractor, saw another substantial increase in position size this quarter. This significant addition highlights Miller's continued conviction in the energy sector's potential amid evolving global demand dynamics.
3
ADS
Alliance Data Systems Corp
Added 1.90%
Portfolio: 7.07%
Shares: 309,825
Reported Price: $50.08
Value: $15,516,036
Alliance Data Systems, which provides marketing, loyalty, and credit solutions, is a new top-three holding following a slight position increase. Miller appears to be betting on the company's role in digital payments and financial technology evolution.
4
GTN
Gray Television Inc
Added 5.71%
Portfolio: 7.04%
Shares: 3,577,790
Reported Price: $4.32
Value: $15,456,053
Gray Television continues to receive Miller's vote of confidence with a further increase in position. Despite the challenges facing traditional media, Miller maintains his contrarian belief in local broadcasting's enduring value and cash flow generation.
5
QUAD
Quad Graphics Inc
Added 2.23%
Portfolio: 6.39%
Shares: 2,574,225
Reported Price: $5.45
Value: $14,029,526
Quad Graphics, a printing and marketing services provider, saw a modest position increase. Miller continues to back this traditional business which is navigating the digital transition while maintaining strong cash flow generation capabilities.
6
JXN
Jackson Financial Inc-A
Reduced 11.95%
Portfolio: 4.62%
Shares: 120,950
Reported Price: $83.78
Value: $10,133,191
Jackson Financial, specializing in retirement products and annuities, saw a reduction this quarter. Despite the trimming, it remains a significant holding, suggesting Miller may be taking some profits while maintaining exposure to the insurance and retirement space.
7
UGI
UGI Corp
No Change
Portfolio: 4.40%
Shares: 292,000
Reported Price: $33.07
Value: $9,656,440
UGI, a utility and energy distribution company, remains unchanged in the portfolio. This position likely serves as a stable anchor providing dividend income and relatively predictable cash flows in an otherwise dynamic portfolio.
8
VZ
Verizon Communications Inc
New Position
Portfolio: 4.09%
Shares: 198,000
Reported Price: $45.36
Value: $8,981,280
Verizon is a significant new addition to the portfolio, immediately becoming a top 10 holding. This move signals Miller's interest in telecom's stable cash flows and dividend income, possibly as a replacement for the dramatically reduced AT&T position.
9
GCI
Gannett Co Inc Com New
Added 13.19%
Portfolio: 3.57%
Shares: 2,712,815
Reported Price: $2.89
Value: $7,840,035
Gannett, a major newspaper publisher, saw a significant position increase. Miller continues to back this traditional media company in its digital transformation efforts, reinforcing his contrarian approach to sectors facing structural challenges.
10
CTO
CTO Realty Growth Inc
No Change
Portfolio: 3.38%
Shares: 383,900
Reported Price: $19.31
Value: $7,413,109
CTO Realty Growth, a real estate investment trust, rounds out the top 10 holdings. This position gives the portfolio exposure to commercial real estate and potential income from property dividends, diversifying away from the financial and industrial emphasis.

Portfolio Strategy Analysis

1
Continued Energy Sector Conviction

Miller has significantly increased the Nabors Industries (+38.25%) position for the second consecutive quarter, demonstrating exceptional conviction in the oil services sector. This substantial addition has propelled Nabors to the second-largest portfolio position at 7.39%. Alongside the continued holding in Chord Energy (formerly Oasis Petroleum) at 2.71%, the portfolio maintains substantial exposure to energy, suggesting Miller sees ongoing value in this sector despite broader market concerns about long-term fossil fuel demand.

2
Strategic Telecom Rotation

One of the most notable shifts is Miller's dramatic reduction in AT&T (-78.24%) coinciding with a new substantial position in Verizon, which immediately becomes the 8th largest holding. This telecom rotation appears to be a strategic repositioning rather than sector abandonment, with Miller potentially favoring Verizon's network infrastructure and dividend policy. The introduction of Verizon at 4.09% of the portfolio while maintaining a smaller AT&T position suggests Miller continues to value telecom's cash generation capabilities.

3
Aggressive Bets on Beaten-Down Industrial Names

Miller has made dramatic increases to positions in several out-of-favor industrial names, most notably American Axle (+88.01%) and continues to back Quad Graphics with a 2.23% increase. The new position in JELD-WEN, a building products manufacturer, further emphasizes this industrial theme. These moves showcase Miller's classic contrarian approach, identifying businesses with potential turnaround value that may be overlooked by growth-oriented investors. Combined with increased positions in Semler Scientific (+23.26%) and Tutor Perini (+19.11%), Miller is placing substantial bets on cyclical recovery in industrial and construction-adjacent sectors.

4
Selective Financial Sector Rebalancing

The financial sector continues to dominate the portfolio but shows evidence of tactical repositioning. While Lincoln National received additional capital (+5.18%) and remains the top position, Western Alliance Bancorp saw a significant reduction (-40.86%). Similarly, Jackson Financial was trimmed (-11.95%) while Conduent was substantially increased (+21.05%). This selective approach to financial stocks suggests Miller is refining his thesis within the sector rather than making a wholesale sector rotation.

Conclusion

Bill Miller's Q1 2025 portfolio reflects a refined value investment approach with several notable strategic shifts. Energy exposure continues to increase, particularly through the significant addition to Nabors Industries, while financial stocks remain core holdings despite selective rebalancing. The dramatic telecom rotation from AT&T to Verizon stands out as a tactical repositioning rather than a sector exit.


Miller's contrarian instincts remain evident in substantial increases to beaten-down industrial names like American Axle (+88.01%) and continued exposure to traditional media through Gray Television and Gannett. The portfolio's overall construction suggests Miller continues to seek overlooked value opportunities while potentially preparing for economic shifts through increased diversification, as evidenced by new positions in telecom, building products, and real estate sectors.

Miller Value Partners Portfolio Analysis

Miller Value Partners Portfolio Analysis

Based on 13F filing for reporting period: Q1, 2025

Portfolio Manager

Bill Miller

Filing Date

May 15, 2025

Total Value

$219,410,716

Number of Positions

34

Portfolio Allocation

Holdings Breakdown

Rank Company Name % of Portfolio Q1 Activity Ticker Shares Market Value ($)

Bill Miller's Career Journey

From Philosophy Student to Legendary Investor
1950
Early Life
Bill Miller is born in Laurinburg, North Carolina, beginning a journey that would lead him to become one of the most celebrated value investors of his generation.
1968
Education Begins
Graduates from Miami Palmetto Senior High School, setting the foundation for his academic journey that would later influence his unique approach to investing.
1972
Academic Excellence and Military Service
Graduates with honors from Washington and Lee University with a degree in economics. Joins the U.S. Army, serving until 1975, and attains the rank of Captain. His military experience helped shape his disciplined approach to market analysis.
Late 1970s
Philosophical Foundations
Pursues graduate studies in philosophy at Johns Hopkins University while working part-time in accounting. This unusual combination of philosophy and finance would later become a hallmark of his investment approach.
1981
Entry into Investment Management
Joins Legg Mason Capital Management as a security analyst, beginning his professional journey in the investment world where he would eventually make his mark.
1986
Professional Certification
Receives his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, adding formal credentials to his already developing unique investment philosophy.
1991-2005
Legendary Performance
Manages a portfolio that beats the S&P 500 Index for 15 consecutive years, an unprecedented achievement in modern investment management that solidified his reputation as one of the greatest investors of his time.
2007
Leadership Role
Elected chairman and chief investment officer of Legg Mason Capital Management, formalizing his leadership position after years of outstanding performance.
2012
New Chapter
Turns over the Legg Mason Value Trust to Sam Peters, marking the end of an era for one of the most successful mutual funds in history.
2016
Independent Path
Ends his relationship with Legg Mason after decades of service, setting the stage for his next chapter in investment management through Miller Value Partners.
2018
Philanthropic Legacy
Makes a $75 million donation to the philosophy department of Johns Hopkins University, the largest-ever gift to a philosophy department, demonstrating his lifelong commitment to philosophical inquiry.
2021
Continued Philanthropy
Donates $50 million to support Johns Hopkins's physics and astronomy department, further expanding his legacy beyond finance to support scientific advancement.
2022
Personal Milestone
Marries fellow Johns Hopkins University Trustee Heather Miller in June, adding a personal chapter to his storied career.
Notable Investment Insights
  • Bill Miller is known as an early investor in Amazon, demonstrating his ability to identify disruptive businesses with long-term growth potential before the market consensus.
  • He was among the first mainstream fund managers to recognize the value proposition of Bitcoin, taking positions well before institutional adoption became widespread.
  • His contrarian investment in Valeant Pharmaceuticals showcases his willingness to make bold bets based on his independent analysis, even when they diverge from popular opinion.
  • Miller's investment philosophy combines traditional value investing with a philosophical approach to market inefficiencies, creating a unique methodology that defies simple categorization.

Bill Miller's Investing Principles

The world changes. This is the biggest problem in markets.

Bill Miller

Our approach can be summarized with the phrase “lowest average cost wins.

Bill Miller

Almost every value trap is the result of people extrapolating past returns on capital and past valuations onto a different situation today.

Bill Miller

The more things people worry about the better for an investor, because those worries are already instantiated in the overall market.

Bill Miller

People often say there’s lots of uncertainty, but when was there ever certainty in the markets, the economy, or the future? I’m just trying to understand the present.

Bill Miller

I think that most individual investors make great mistakes when they try and time the market, and try and think about what’s the best stock to buy now.

Bill Miller

If you have a valuation discipline, then you know that stock prices change more rapidly than business value. You also know that rising stock prices mean lower future rates of return and falling stock prices mean higher rates of return.

Bill Miller

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