Based on 113 hedge funds · latest filing: 2025 Q4 · updated quarterly
📉
Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row
For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their PAYS positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.
🏔️
At the ownership peak (95% of max)
95% of all-time peak
113 hedge funds hold PAYS right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
🚀
Fast accumulation — +24% more funds vs a year ago
fund count last 6Q
+22 new funds entered over the past year (+24% YoY). That's a rapid rush of institutional money. Fast accumulation often signals a major thesis — but it also means the stock could fall quickly if that thesis breaks.
🟡
Slight buying edge — 52% buying
60 buying55 selling
Last quarter: 60 funds bought or added vs 55 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.
⚠️
Fewer new buyers each quarter (-27 vs last Q)
new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 9 → 27 → 39 → 12. Each quarter fewer new institutions are entering. This usually means most funds that wanted in are already in — the stock is well-known but the pool of potential new buyers is shrinking.
🔒
44% of holders stayed for 2+ years
■ 44% conviction (2yr+)
■ 30% medium
■ 26% new
50 out of 113 hedge funds have held PAYS for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎
Buying through price weakness — shares +3%, value -16%
Last quarter: funds added +3% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -16%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
📈
Growing discovery — still being found
17 → 9 → 27 → 39 → 12 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 9 → 27 → 39 → 12. A growing number of institutions are discovering PAYS each quarter. The narrative is still spreading — leaving room for ongoing capital accumulation.
🏛️
Deep conviction — 60% of holders stayed 2+ years
■ 60% veterans
■ 10% 1-2yr
■ 30% new
Of 118 current holders: 71 (60%) have held for over 2 years without selling. These are not momentum buyers — they have lived through drawdowns and stayed. A large veteran base acts as a stabilizing force during selloffs.
✅
Strong quality — 26% AUM from major funds
26% from top-100 AUM funds
35 of 113 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 26% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
4.0
out of 10
Moderate Exit Risk
Exit risk score 4.0/10 — some crowding factors present, but no critical concentration. Watch ownership trend over the next 1–2 quarters for direction.