The most important data release of the quarter occurred earlier this week -- and I'm not talking about the much-anticipated July inflation report.

No later than 45 calendar days following the end to a quarter, institutional investors with at least $100 million in assets under management are required to file Form 13F with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A 13F offers an under-the-hood glimpse of which stocks Wall Street's smartest, most-successful, and richest investors have been buying and selling.

Despite the limitations of 13Fs -- e.g., they can be 45 days old when filed, meaning the data you're seeing might be stale for active fund managers -- they provide invaluable clues as to what stocks, industries, sectors, and trends are piquing the interest of Wall Street's brightest asset managers.

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Source Fool.com