Bill Gates’ Portfolio: 5 Dividend Stocks Held By The World’s Richest Man

2. United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

In United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust disclosed a $485.57 million stake that contained 4.53 million shares as of March 31. Overall, the company registered a decline in popularity among the funds we track, as the number of investors long the stock fell to 36 from 41 between January and March. In 2017, United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) increased its dividend to $0.83 from $0.78, which provides its stock with a yield of almost 3%.

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) is among the best stocks to invest in for the long-term. It operates in an industry dominated by a few well-established companies like FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) and is unlikely to face a lot of competition because of high barriers to entry. Providing delivery services requires a large fleet of trucks, planes, and cargo ships and a large network of warehouses and outlet locations, all of which are capital intensive.

There are concerns that Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) might undercut delivery companies like United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) because the eCommerce giant has been building its own fleet of planes and trucks. However, while delivery companies will be affected if Amazon takes delivery into its own hands, the online retail business is very large and continuously growing and traditional retailers seeking to expand their online presence will require companies like United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) to handle deliveries.

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