Bridgewater Associates Unloads Some Of Its Apple Inc. (AAPL) Stake, But Tech Giant Remains Its Top Pick

Let’s now move on to Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO), in which Bridgewater Associates increased its holdings by 155,100 shares during the latest quarter to 732,874 shares valued at $28.75 million. The shares of Coca-Cola are currently trading at relatively the same level as they were trading at the beginning of the current year, losing slightly over 1% year-to-date. Just a few days ago, The New York Times published an article that describes how Coca-Cola is funding research that says the cure for the obesity epidemic is to focus on physical activity rather than on altering eating habits, which flies in the face of what we know about the causes of the epidemic. The market reacted negatively to the recently-published article, with most people considering Coca-Cola’s behavior in relation to the matter of public health as immoral as it attempts to deflect its own role in the epidemic. However, most investors primarily focus on the financial performance delivered by the company, so that is ultimately where Coca-Cola will be judged in the market. Whether those finances will be affected negatively by the latest revelations remains to be seen. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is by far the largest shareholder of Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO), owning a stake of 400 million shares as of March 31.

Lastly, Bridgewater Associates increased its equity stake in Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON) by 85,500 shares during the latest quarter, ending the quarter with 224,399 shares valued at $23.92 million. The shares of Monsanto have lost 14% since the beginning of the current year, however, the stock might rebound soon enough as the agricultural giant is closer to reaching an agreement to buy Swiss pesticide company Syngenta. Officials at Monsanto outlined that the deal might create a company capable of providing a comprehensive portfolio of integrated solutions that would assist farmers around the world in tackling agricultural, environmental, and sustainability challenges. In the meantime, Monsanto has recently posted its financial results for the fiscal third quarter, ended May 31. The company posted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.39 for the quarter, compared to a figure of $1.62 reported a year ago. Harris Associates is among the largest shareholders of Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON), with an ownership stake of 6.83 million shares as of June 30.

Disclosure: None