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What Is a 13F Filing?

SEC Form 13F is a quarterly report that institutional investment managers must file disclosing their US equity holdings. It is the primary public window into what hedge funds, pension funds, and other large investors are buying and selling.

Who Must File Form 13F?

Under Section 13(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, any institutional investment manager exercising investment discretion over $100 million or morein qualifying securities must file Form 13F with the SEC. This threshold is measured at the end of each calendar year and applies to the following year's filings.

Filers include:

  • Hedge funds: Berkshire Hathaway, Bridgewater Associates, Citadel
  • Mutual fund companies: Vanguard, BlackRock, Fidelity
  • Pension funds: CalPERS, Ontario Teachers' Pension
  • Family offices: Soros Fund Management, Duquesne
  • Banks and insurance companies: Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan

What Does a 13F Filing Disclose?

Each 13F filing contains an information table listing every qualifying position:

  • Security name and CUSIP: identifies the exact instrument
  • Number of shares or principal amount: total position size
  • Market value: value as of the quarter-end date
  • Investment discretion: sole, shared, or defined
  • Voting authority: sole, shared, or none
  • Put/Call indicator: for options positions

What 13F Does NOT Disclose

Understanding the limitations of 13F data is critical for proper interpretation:

  • Short positions: 13F only covers longs
  • Cash holdings: AUM shown is only the equity portion
  • Foreign-only securities: only US-listed securities or ADRs qualify
  • Private investments: venture capital, real estate, private credit are excluded
  • Timing of trades: filings show end-of-quarter snapshots, not when trades were executed

Filing Timeline and Deadlines

13F filings are due 45 calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter:

  • Q1 (Jan-Mar): due ~May 15
  • Q2 (Apr-Jun): due ~August 14
  • Q3 (Jul-Sep): due ~November 14
  • Q4 (Oct-Dec): due ~February 14

Most major filers submit on or near the deadline. Track new submissions on our recent filings feed.

How Investors Use 13F Data

Despite the 45-day lag, 13F filings remain the most comprehensive source of institutional portfolio data. Investors use them to:

  1. Track superinvestors: See what Buffett, Dalio, and Ackman are holding
  2. Spot consensus buys: Identify stocks being added by multiple funds simultaneously
  3. Research institutional ownership: Check which funds hold a specific stock and how ownership is changing
  4. Analyze fund strategies: Understand sector allocation, concentration, and turnover patterns

13F on Track13F

Track13F aggregates thousands of 13F filings from SEC EDGAR, normalizes CUSIPs to tickers, computes quarter-over-quarter changes, and surfaces the data through searchable fund, investor, and stock pages. Browse all funds or start with what's trending this quarter.

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13F filing deadlinesHow to read a 13F13F vs 13DTop hedge funds

13F filing FAQ

Common questions about SEC Form 13F.

Who has to file a 13F?

Any institutional investment manager that exercises investment discretion over $100 million or more in Section 13(f) securities must file a 13F. This includes hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, insurance companies, banks, and registered investment advisers.

How often is 13F filed?

13F filings are submitted quarterly, within 45 days of the end of each calendar quarter. The filing deadlines are approximately February 14, May 15, August 14, and November 14.

What securities are reported on 13F?

13F covers 'Section 13(f) securities': primarily US-listed equities, ETFs, some convertible bonds, and certain options. Short positions, foreign-only securities, private placements, and most fixed-income instruments are excluded.

Can 13F data be used for investing?

13F data shows what top investors held at the end of a quarter, but filings are public 45 days later. Positions may have changed significantly by then. Use 13F as research input, not as real-time trade signals.

What is a 13F-HR/A (amendment)?

A 13F-HR/A is an amendment to a previously filed 13F. Funds file amendments to correct errors, add previously omitted positions, or update values. Amendments supersede the original filing for that quarter.