10 Best Stocks to Buy According to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust

2. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s Stake: $8.9 billion

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 131

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A) is a diversified global conglomerate holding company primarily focused on the insurance sector. It invests cash generated by insurance operations in a wide range of subsidiaries, stock holdings, and securities from numerous sectors.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A) announced a significant spike in Q4 2024 earnings, mostly due to its insurance firms, while cash holdings reached a record high. The company’s operational profit increased by 71% to $14.53 billion in the quarter. This expansion was driven by a 302% increase in insurance underwriting profits, which totaled $3.41 billion, and an approximately 50% increase in insurance investment income, which totaled $4.09 billion.

Wall Street analysts Meyer Shields of KBW and Brian Meredith of UBS boosted their price forecasts for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A) after the firm reported Q4 2024 earnings in late February. Meredith reaffirmed his Buy rating on the company, raising his target to $836,135 from $803,444, while Shields increased his target price for BRK-A shares to $775,000 from $750,000, retaining a market perform rating.