Bill Gates’ Latest Stock Portfolio: Top 5 Picks

3. Canadian National Railway Company (NYSE:CNI)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s Stake Value: $1.7 billion

Percentage of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s Portfolio: 8.8%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38

Canadian National Railway Company (NYSE:CNI) is a Class I freight railway based in Quebec, Canada. It is the largest railway in Canada in terms of the rail network’s physical size as well as revenue. 

As of the first quarter of 2022, TCI Fund Management is the biggest shareholder in the railway company with an equity ownership worth almost $5 billion. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust follows the lead at the number two spot. For comparison, the total money invested by 38 hedge funds in the Canadian National Railway Company is $8 billion.

On June 14, Deutsche Bank analyst Amit Mehrotra placed a “Catalyst Call: Buy” on Canadian National Railway Company as a short-term investment idea. With regard to the upcoming Q2, 2022 reporting season, the analyst is most bullish on the setup for rails. 

His updated calibration of rail volumes points to a 7.3% average volume growth YoY in the second part of 2022, even assuming no growth off-second quarter levels. 

The combination of higher volume, peaking energy prices and improving service is good for prospective profitability, and certain rails could exit 2022 at record levels, Mehrotra told investors in a research note. In this respect, the analyst is most optimistic on the Canadian rails.