Following activist campaigns: the Activist All-Stars Portfolio and 13D filings

I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. Activist investing produces the fastest public disclosure in this whole category, and almost nobody knows the filing exists. Here's the form, why it's quick, and the Portfolio built around it.

One thing first, because we're an SEC-registered investment adviser and I have to say it. Autopilot is the app. The actual investment advice comes from Autopilot Advisers, LLC. If you want the full legal version of anything in here, it's on our disclaimer page.

The three filings, and why they're different

A 13F is a quarterly holdings report from institutional managers, filed within 45 days of quarter end. It's slow and it covers everything they hold.

A 13D is different. When an investor crosses five percent of a company's voting stock with the intent to influence or control it, they have to file a 13D, and the deadline is days rather than months. It also has to state their purpose, which means the filing tells you what they want, not just what they own.

A 13G is the passive version of the same threshold. Same ownership level, no intent to influence, less urgency and less detail.

So a 13D is the fast, intentional one. That's why activist situations become public quickly while ordinary fund positions take a quarter. How to read the quarterly form is in How to read a 13F filing.

What activist investors actually do

They buy a meaningful stake and then push for change: new management, a strategy shift, a sale of the company, a return of cash. The Portfolio description on Autopilot puts it as using an ownership stake to change how a company is run or to advocate for a sale at a premium.

The investment case isn't that the company is cheap, it's that something specific is going to happen to it. That's a different kind of bet from most of what's on our platform.

The Portfolio on Autopilot

Activist All-Stars is published by an independent Pilot, Jordan Grayson, and managed by Autopilot Advisers. Its description says the Pilot evaluates current activist situations, does a deep dive on each thesis, methodology and record, and constructs a portfolio of activist targets judged most likely to succeed with limited downside if the thesis is wrong.

That's a selection layer on top of the filings rather than a mechanical tracker of every 13D, and the description says so.

What to be careful about

Activist campaigns fail, and often. A stake and a stated intent are not an outcome, and management frequently wins. When a campaign fails, the stock usually gives back whatever it gained on the announcement.

These are event-driven positions with binary characteristics, which means they don't behave like a diversified portfolio even when there are several of them. And limited downside is a judgment in the Pilot's description, not a feature of the market.

Read the Portfolio's own description in the app, because that's the statement of method. Look at the worst decline rather than the return. Check how often it changes, since turnover costs money and creates taxable events in a taxable account. And check the fee at your balance, which is arithmetic in What Autopilot's fee actually means at your balance.

How following works

You pick the Portfolio, connect the brokerage you already use, and allocate money. You give Autopilot Advisers limited authority to send orders to the account you already have. When the Portfolio changes, we send them and your broker fills them. The money stays put.

A flat cash subscription, not a percentage of your balance. Per our Form CRS dated February 2026, Basic Tier has no Base Advisory and Licensing Fee, and Premium Tier is $29.99 to $199.99 a quarter or $99.99 to $699.99 a year. Pilot subscriptions are separate and add on if you follow more than one Portfolio. Because it's a flat dollar amount, it's a bigger share of a small account than a big one, so do the math at your balance.

Frequently asked questions

activist investor tracker app

Autopilot has an activist Portfolio published by an independent Pilot, who selects among current activist situations rather than tracking every filing mechanically.

Is there an app that follows activist investors' 13D positions?

Activist All-Stars is built around activist situations, with the Pilot evaluating each thesis and record before including it. Pick it, connect your brokerage, allocate money.

What is the difference between 13F, 13D, and 13G?

A 13F is a quarterly holdings report filed within 45 days of quarter end. A 13D is filed within days when an investor crosses five percent of voting stock with intent to influence, and must state that purpose. A 13G is the passive version of the same threshold.

How do I invest alongside activist investors?

You can read 13D filings on EDGAR yourself, or follow a Portfolio built around activist situations. Either way, understand that campaigns often fail and these are event-driven positions.

Start Investing

Since Autopilot Advisers is an SEC-registered investment adviser, we have to put disclaimers on stuff like this. They're below, and the full version is on our disclaimer page.

Disclosures

© Autopilot Holdings Corporation 2026 — All rights reserved. “Autopilot” refers to Autopilot Holdings Corporation and its wholly-owned, and separately managed subsidiaries, including Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested, and past performance is not indicative of future results. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important information at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer.

This information is provided by Autopilot for educational and illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation, an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy any security. Autopilot relies on information from various sources believed to be reliable, including information from Clients, Pilots and other third parties, but cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information. Autopilot does not provide tax or legal advice and you are encouraged to consult with professionals before making investment decisions.

Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by the companies listed, described, or featured on its site. Company logos or trademarks used do not imply endorsement and are the property of their respective owners.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. You should carefully consider your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon before investing through Autopilot.

Autopilot Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Autopilot is available in our Form ADV Part 2A, available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or joinautopilot.com/adv.

Autopilot provides limited investment advisory services focused on Portfolio selection and suitability assessment. Our services are not intended to replace comprehensive financial planning. We recommend consulting with a qualified financial advisor regarding your complete financial situation.

This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. You should consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult with qualified tax and legal professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not hold client assets. All investments are held at the brokerage firm you select and connect to Autopilot. Your brokerage firm is responsible for trade execution, custody, and reporting. Autopilot is not responsible for your broker-dealer’s services, fees, or execution quality.

Autopilot’s services depend on technology systems, third-party APIs, and internet connectivity. System outages, API disruptions, or connectivity issues may temporarily affect service availability or trade execution timing.

Client account holdings are designed to track the Portfolio you’ve selected, but your actual holdings and performance may differ from the Portfolio due to execution timing, market conditions, brokerage capacity constraints, fractional share availability, and other factors outside Autopilot’s control.

For Portfolios inspired by publicly disclosed trading activity, there may be a delay between when a Pilot executes a trade and when that trade becomes publicly available and is incorporated into the Portfolio. This timing delay may affect the suitability or performance of trades when executed in client accounts.

Activist All-Stars is published by Jordan Grayson, an independent Pilot, and managed by Autopilot Advisers, LLC. The investors and companies described are not affiliated with Autopilot and have not endorsed it. Event-driven and concentrated strategies carry heightened risk of loss; activist campaigns frequently do not achieve their stated objectives. Fee amounts are quoted from Form CRS dated February 2026 and may change.