Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s Top Stock Positions Remain Intact, Save for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) Stake

#2. Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:WM)

– Number of shares owned by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as of March 31: 18.63 Million

– Value of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s holding as of March 31: $1.10 Billion

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust has 18.63 million shares of Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:WM) among its pool of holdings as of March 31. The position in WM was worth nearly $1.10 billion at quarter-end and represented 6.4% of the organization’s public portfolio. The shares of the provider of waste management environmental services are up 13% since the beginning of 2016, but analysts at Oppenheimer believe the stock has more room to run. Even though Waste Management’s shares change hands at around 20.1-times expected earnings versus the forward PE multiple of 17.6 for the S&P 500 Index, Oppenheimer analysts rate Waste Management’s stock as ‘Outperform’ with a price target of $67. Earlier this year, Waste Management of Florida, a subsidiary of WM, acquired certain operations and business assets from Southern Waste Systems/Sun Recycling in Southern Florida for $525 million. Cliff Asness’ AQR Capital Management had 2.87 million shares of Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:WM) at the end of March.

#1. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.B)

– Number of shares owned by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as of March 31: 69.38 Million

– Value of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s holding as of March 31: $9.84 Billion

The philanthropic organization reduced its holding in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.B) by exactly 5.00 million Class B shares during the first three months of 2016, ending the first quarter with 69.38 million shares. The trimmed stake was worth a huge $9.84 billion at the end of March, constituting 57.3% of the fund’s equity portfolio. Investors should be aware that billionaire Warren Buffet joined the foundation as a trustee back in 2006, pledging billions of dollars to the foundation. Mr. Buffett has donated hundreds of millions of Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the foundation and plans to provide gifts each year throughout his lifetime. Berkshire’s Class B shares have gained 6% since the beginning of the year. D.E. Shaw & Co. L.P., founded by David E. Shaw, owns 4.92 million Class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.B) as of the end of March.

Disclosure: None