Bill Miller - Miller Value Partners

Bill Miller - Miller Value Partners LLC Q4 2024 Portfolio

Miller Value Partners, a hedge fund managed by Bill Miller, disclosed 33 security holdings in their SEC 13F filing for the fourth quarter of 2024, with a total portfolio value of $234,152,578

Miller Value Partners Portfolio Analysis

Miller Value Partners Portfolio Analysis

Based on 13F filing for reporting period: Q4, 2024

Portfolio Manager

Bill Miller

Filing Date

February 14, 2025

Total Value

$234,152,578

Number of Positions

33

Portfolio Allocation

Holdings Breakdown

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

Bill Miller's Miller Value Partners

Q4 2024 Holdings and Strategic Analysis

As of Q4 2024, Bill Miller's portfolio at Miller Value Partners reflects an ongoing emphasis on value-oriented opportunities across financial services, energy, and select consumer-facing businesses. The data reveals significant position increases across nearly all top holdings, demonstrating Miller's conviction in his contrarian approach.

Top Holdings

1
BFH
Bread Financial Holdings Inc.
Added 17.61%
Portfolio: 7.93%
Shares: 304,050
Reported Price: $61.06
Value: $18,565,000
Bread Financial, a provider of payment solutions and financial services, saw a notable increase in shares. This move underscores Miller's continued interest in the financial sector, particularly in consumer lending and payments.
2
QUAD
Quad/Graphics Inc.
Added 33.67%
Portfolio: 7.50%
Shares: 2,518,130
Reported Price: $6.97
Value: $17,551,000
Quad/Graphics, a printing and marketing services company, received a substantial boost in shares. This addition reflects confidence in Quad's turnaround prospects and niche market position.
3
NBR
Nabors Industries Ltd.
Added 99.48%
Portfolio: 6.87%
Shares: 281,195
Reported Price: $57.17
Value: $16,076,000
Nabors, an oilfield services and drilling contractor, nearly doubled in position size, highlighting Miller's conviction in a continued recovery in the energy sector amid favorable commodity pricing.
4
LNC
Lincoln National
Added 28.83%
Portfolio: 6.69%
Shares: 493,685
Reported Price: $31.71
Value: $15,655,000
Lincoln National, an insurance and retirement solutions provider, also saw a sizeable addition. This move indicates Miller's optimism about the financial sector's longer-term growth prospects.
5
GCI
Gannett Co.
Added 74.75%
Portfolio: 5.18%
Shares: 2,396,625
Reported Price: $5.06
Value: $12,127,000
Gannett, one of the largest newspaper publishers, received a significant increase in shares. Despite challenges in traditional media, Miller's purchase reflects a contrarian view on the company's digital transformation.
6
T
AT&T Inc.
No Change
Portfolio: 5.18%
Shares: 533,000
Reported Price: $22.77
Value: $12,136,000
AT&T remains a notable holding, offering stable dividend income and a large telecom customer base. Miller appears to maintain confidence in AT&T's capacity to generate consistent cash flow.
7
JXN
Jackson Financial Inc.
Added 5.40%
Portfolio: 5.11%
Shares: 137,370
Reported Price: $87.08
Value: $11,962,000
Jackson Financial, focused on retirement annuities, saw a modest increase. This addition aligns with Miller's broader financial services theme, highlighting potential for stable fee-based income.
8
WAL
Western Alliance Bancorp
Added 6.14%
Portfolio: 5.03%
Shares: 141,110
Reported Price: $83.54
Value: $11,788,000
Western Alliance, a regional bank, also saw a slight increase. This move suggests Miller's ongoing confidence in select regional financial institutions with strong balance sheets and growth potential.
9
UNFI
United Natural Foods
Added 52.15%
Portfolio: 4.81%
Shares: 412,500
Reported Price: $27.31
Value: $11,265,000
United Natural Foods, a distributor of natural and organic foods, experienced a large addition. Miller's move signals confidence in rising consumer demand for healthier food options.
10
GTN
Gray Television Inc.
Added 132.11%
Portfolio: 4.55%
Shares: 3,384,450
Reported Price: $3.15
Value: $10,661,000
Gray Television, a broadcast television company, more than doubled in position size. Despite pressures in traditional media, Miller's addition indicates a bet on local broadcasting's resilience.

Portfolio Strategy Analysis

1
Heightened Exposure to Energy and Industrials

Significant additions to Nabors Industries (+99.48%) and Quad/Graphics (+33.67%) suggest Miller sees ongoing recovery or undervaluation in energy services and industrial printing/marketing sectors. These substantial increases demonstrate Miller's contrarian, value-driven approach to sectors that have faced structural challenges but may be poised for cyclical improvements. The nearly doubling of the Nabors position is particularly noteworthy, indicating strong conviction in the energy services recovery thesis.

2
Continuing Focus on Financial Services

Increases in Lincoln National (+28.83%), Jackson Financial (+5.40%), Bread Financial (+17.61%), and Western Alliance (+6.14%) underscore Miller's confidence in the financial sector's capacity for steady cash flow—particularly in insurance, annuities, consumer finance, and regional banking. This multi-faceted approach to financial services allows the portfolio to benefit from various subsectors while potentially mitigating risk through diversification across different financial business models.

3
Select Consumer & Media Plays

Substantial additions to Gannett (+74.75%) and Gray Television (+132.11%) highlight Miller's willingness to invest in companies undergoing transformations or those poised to benefit from cyclical advertising revenue. Meanwhile, the large stake increase in United Natural Foods (+52.15%) taps into health-conscious consumer trends. These bold moves into out-of-favor sectors demonstrate Miller's classic contrarian approach, seeking value where others see decline and betting on business model evolution in traditional industries.

Conclusion

Bill Miller's Q4 2024 portfolio emphasizes value-oriented opportunities across financial services, energy, and niche consumer/industrial plays. By substantially increasing positions in companies like Nabors Industries, Gannett, and Gray Television—all of which saw additions exceeding 70%—Miller demonstrates a contrarian streak, aiming to capitalize on turnarounds or overlooked segments poised for rebound.


The consistent theme remains long-term growth and stable cash flows, reflecting Miller's enduring value-investing philosophy. With nearly every top position seeing significant increases, the portfolio reveals high conviction in these carefully selected companies, even as they operate in sectors that may be considered challenged by broader market sentiment.

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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