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

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1. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s Stake: $11.99 billion

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 317

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is a leading technology firm recognized for its core software products, which include the Windows operating system, the Microsoft 365 suite, and the Edge browser. Its offerings include corporate software, software development tools, video games, gaming equipment, and cloud services.

On April 17, KeyBanc analysts downgraded Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) from Overweight to Sector Weight, citing worries about the timing of AI demand and monetization. Microsoft has made substantial investments in artificial intelligence and its cloud computing service Azure, which have become key components of the company’s development plan. The analysts’ downgrade shows a cautious view on whether these investments will generate the projected returns.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) reported $69.6 billion in revenue in the second-quarter of fiscal year 2025, a 12% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, operational income increased by 17%, while the cloud segment reached a record $40.9 billion, up 21%, with Azure services alone increasing 31%. Furthermore, AI services fueled 13 points of Azure’s growth, while Microsoft’s commercial software category climbed by 14% to $29.4 billion.

While we acknowledge the potential for MSFT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%.  If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MSFT but trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

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