One of our most popular professional portfolios is that of George Soros' Soros Fund Management. Keeping in mind that Soros Fund Management conducts hundreds of transactions every quarter -- in the fourth quarter, for example, just positions initiated by Soros clocked in at more than 250 -- we thought we'd single out some of its recent top buys.
What follows is a closer look at eight of the 30 holdings that Stockpickr tracks in its George Soros portfolio. These stocks, including one brand-new buy, saw position increases in the most-recent quarter of 100% or more. They are organized here by increasing position size.
Related: 7 Stocks Leading the Market in 2011
Ford
Ford(F) comprises 0.6% of Soros' portfolio. The 2.6 million-share position is a 7,070.5% increase over the previous quarter.
Ford also shows up in the portfolios of Leon Cooperman's Omega Advisors, which maintained a 6 million-share position at 2.5% of the total portfolio, and Ken Heebner's Capital Growth Management, in a 41.6 million-share position that, at 10.3% of the total portfolio, is its largest holding.
Stock Overview: Ford Motor is a producer of cars and trucks. Its business is divided into two sectors: automotive and financial services. It has a market cap of $53.6 billion, a 1.9 short interest ratio and a P/E of 8.8.
Analyst Ratings: Of 14 analysts covering the stock, seven rate it a buy, six rate it a hold, and one rates it a sell. TheStreet Ratings has a C hold rating on the stock, earning it a spot on the top-rated automobile stocks list.
More on Ford: Ford is one of Goldman's 11 best consumer stocks for 2011, and according to Dirk van Dijk, chief equity strategist at Zacks, it's one of several stocks to ride an economic recovery. 
Comcast(CMCSA) comprises 0.6% of Soros' portfolio. Soros Fund Management increased its position by 112.2% in the most-recent quarter to about 2 million shares.
Comcast also shows up in the portfolios of John Paulson's Paulson & Co., at 3% of the total, and Steven Cohen's SAC Capital, at 0.6% of the total.
Stock Overview: Comcast is a provider of cable services, offering a variety of entertainment, information and communications services to residential and commercial customers. It has a market of $53.1 billion and a 3.4 short interest ratio, it yields 1.8, and it trades at a P/E of 19.9.
Analyst Ratings: Of 25 analysts covering the stock, 15 rate it a buy, and 10 rate it a hold. TheStreet Ratings has an A- buy rating on the stock.
Citigroup
Citigroup(C) comprises 0.7% of Soros' portfolio. Soros Fund Management increased its position in the stock by 49.4% to 1.1 million shares in the most-recent quarter.
At 5.7% of the total portfolio, Citigroup is the top holding of Steve Mandel's Lone Pine Capital. The 145.1 million-share position is new as of the most-recent quarter. The stock also comprises 7.1% of Bruce Berkowitz's Fairholme Capital Management portfolio.
Stock Overview: Citigroup is engaged as a financial services holding company, whose businesses provide consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services. It has a market of $142.6 billion and a 0.7 short interest ratio, and it trades at a P/E of 14.
Analyst Ratings: Of 20 analysts covering the stock, 10 rate it a buy, eight rate it a hold, and two rate it a sell. TheStreet Ratings has a C- hold rating on the stock.
More on Citigroup: Citigroup showed up on a recent list of the 10 cheapest big U.S. bank stocks, and according to Lauren Tara LaCapra, it's one of 18 big banks that could see dividend increases. Goldman included the stocks as one of its seven best financial stocks for 2011. 
Wal-Mart is also a top holding of Stockpickr's most popular portfolio, that of Warren Buffett, who owns 39 million shares. The stock comprises 4% of the total Berkshire Hathaway portfolio. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust also likes Wal-Mart. It owns 9.8 million shares, for 3.5% of the total portfolio.
Stock Overview: Wal-Mart Stores operates Walmart discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam's Club locations in the U.S. It has a market of $197.3 billion and a 2.5 short interest ratio, it yields 2.2%, and it trades at a P/E of 13.8.
Analyst Ratings: Of 28 analysts covering the stock, 17 rate it a buy, and 11 rate it a hold. TheStreet Ratings has a B buy rating on the stock.
More on Wal-Mart: Wal-Mart showed up on a recent list of 16 Dow stocks selling at five-year discounts and according to Jake Lynch is one of the 10 cheapest Dow dividend stocks for 2011. Frank Byrt included it as one of four stocks that could get a boost from inflation.
Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises(CCE) comprises 0.8% of Soros' portfolio. He increased his position by 1,276.3% in the most-recent quarter, to 2.4 million shares.
Coca-Cola Enterprises also shows up as a holding of Michael Price at MFP Investors, at 1.5% of the total portfolio.
Stock Overview: Coca-Cola Enterprises markets, produces and distributes soft drinks to customers through license territories in 46 states in the U.S, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and certain Caribbean islands and the 10 provinces of Canada. It has a market of about $9 billion and a 2.3 short interest ratio, it yields 1.8, and it trades at a P/E of 14.8.
Analyst Ratings: Of 13 analysts covering the stock, seven rate it a buy, and six rate it a hold. TheStreet Ratings has a B- buy rating on the stock, earning it a spot on the top-rated beverage stocks list. 
Best Buy(BBY) comprises 0.9% of Soros' portfolio. The 2.1 million-share position is a new one for the most-recent quarter.
Whitney Tilson at T2 Partners also initiated a new position in Best Buy in the most-recent quarter, which now comprises 0.4% of the total portfolio.
Stock Overview: Best Buy is a multinational retailer of consumer electronics, home office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services. It has a market of $13 billion and a 2.2 short interest ratio, it yields 1.8%, and it trades at a P/E of 9.9.
Analyst Ratings: Of 25 analysts covering the stock, 11 rate it a buy, and 14 rate it a hold. TheStreet Ratings has a B- buy rating on the stock.
More on Best Buy: Forester Value Fund manager Tom Forester selected Best Buy as one of his five best value stocks for 2011.
Dendreon
Dendreon(DNDN) comprises 1.9% of Soros' portfolio. The 4.2 million-share position is a 131.2% increase over the previous quarter. SAC Capital also boosted its position in Dendreon in the most-recent quarter, by 16.6% to 7.1 million shares.
Stock Overview: Dendreon is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics that improve cancer treatment options for patients. It has a market cap of $4.9 billion and a 4.7 short interest ratio.
Analyst Ratings: Of 18 analysts covering the stock, 12 rate it a buy, five rate it a hold, and one rates it a sell. TheStreet Ratings has a D- sell rating on the stock. 
Delta Air Lines(DAL) comprises 2.4% of Soros' portfolio. Soros Fund Management increased its position by 299.1% in the most-recent quarter, to 14.7 million shares.
Delta also shows up in the portfolio of Ronald Muhlenkamp at Muhlenkamp Fund in a new 1.7 million-share new position, comprising about 3% of the total portfolio.
Stock Overview: Delta Air Lines operates as an airline, providing scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and around the world. It has a market of $9.6 billion and a 0.9 short interest ratio, and it trades at a P/E of 16.4.
Analyst Ratings: Of 13 analysts covering the stock, 11 rate it a buy, and two rate it a hold. TheStreet Ratings has a C hold rating on the stock, earning it a spot on the top-rated airline industry stocks
To see these stocks in action, check out the 8 Top George Soros Buys portfolio. For Soros' top 30 holdings, visit the George Soros portfolio at Stockpickr.
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