Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s Top Holdings Deliver Solid Returns

Canadian National Railway (USA) (NYSE:CNI)

– Shares Owned by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust (as of June 30): 17.13 million

– Value of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust holding (as of June 30): $1.01 billion

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s position remained neutral in rail and transport business related Canadian National Railway (USA) (NYSE:CNI). The trust holds 17.13 million shares worth $1.01 billion. The company reported revenue of C$2.84 billion ($2.21 billion) topping expectations by C$580 million, while EPS of C$1.11 was higher compared to C$0.04 expected by analysts for the second quarter. The company provided diluted EPS guidance of C$4.44 for the full 2016. Canadian National Railway (USA) (NYSE:CNI)’s stock has gained nearly 14% since the beginning of the year. Among the funds tracked by our team, 21 investors are long Canadian National Railway (USA) (NYSE:CNI) as of the end of June.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)

– Shares Owned by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust (as of June 30): 11.26 million

– Value of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust holding (as of June 30): $853.69 million

The fourth-largest position in Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s 13F portfolio is represented by Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT), in which it holds 11.26 million shares worth $853.69 million. Recently, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (USA) (NYSE:RBA) and Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) have entered into a material agreement which is expected to benefit both companies. As part of the agreement, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (USA) will be the preferred partner for latter’s online auctions and live onsite events. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)’s stock has advanced by more than 20% since the beginning of the year and it saw 31 funds from our database holding shares at the end of June, down from 37 a quarter earlier.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

– Shares Owned by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust (as of June 30): 11.60 million

– Value of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust holding (as of June 30): $847.25 million

Finally, there is Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT), in which the trust reported a $847.25 million position that contained 11.60 million shares at the end of June. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) reported second-quarter revenue of $120.9 billion, which beat the consensus estimate by $740 million, while EPS of $1.07 topped the expectations by $0.05. The retailer’s U.S. comparable-store sales saw an increase of 1.6% during the quarter, versus estimates of 0.9%. Shares of Wal-Mart Stores have gained 19% so far this year. A total of 58 funds from our database held $6.87 billion worth of the company’s stock heading into the third quarter.

Disclosure: None