Bill Gates and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Portfolios Have This One Non-AI Stock in Common

The latest 13F filings show that Bill Gates’ foundation trust and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, now run by Greg Abel, had one stock in common in their portfolios as of the end of the second quarter: Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC). Berkshire held a big position that made up 2.6% of its book. The Gates Foundation stake in KHC was worth about $58.4 million.

So what’s so special about this stock?

Steve Cahillane took over as Kraft Heinz CEO earlier this year to take up the job of turning around the company. The plan is showing signs of progress. Full-year organic sales guidance improved to a decline of 0.5% to 2%, up from a prior forecast of a decline of 1.5% to 3.5%. In the recent quarter, free cash flow rose 10% year over year, and the company raised its free cash flow conversion guidance to approximately 110% from 100%.

Berkshire Sticks Around

Berkshire Hathaway remaining the company’s largest shareholder counts as a major vote of confidence. Some analysts have pointed out that Kraft Heinz could become a takeover target for Berkshire or another large food company looking to add scale and cash flow through an accretive deal.

Insiders Are Buying

Insider buying backs up that confidence. Cahillane purchased 213,106 shares at $23.46 in May, a purchase worth roughly $5 million, bringing his total holdings to 635,160 shares.

The Bear Case

Bears counter that profits are still shrinking. Adjusted operating income fell 18.4% last quarter, driven by higher marketing spend and higher variable compensation costs. Bears also point to a struggling packaged food sector overall. Average five-year returns across major packaged food stocks sit at negative 16%, compared to gains of 86% for the S&P 500. These declines indicate rising private label competition and shifting consumer tastes away from legacy processed brands.

While we acknowledge the risk and potential of KHC 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. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than KHC and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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