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Is Waste Management, Inc. (WM) the Best Stock in Bill Gates’ Portfolio Right Now?

We recently compiled a list of the Bill Gates Stock Portfolio: Latest 2024 Update. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) stands against the other stocks in Bill Gates’ portfolio.

Bill Gates is one of the most consequential people in the modern-day world. His software company, known for selling the Windows operating system, is among the most valuable firms in the world courtesy of its $3.30 trillion market capitalization. This firm has made Gates one of the richest people in the world, with his net worth estimated to sit at $108 billion according to the latest estimates.

The software billionaire retired from his firm in 2014, but he hasn’t stopped making an impact post-retirement. Rather than fade quietly into the distance, Gates refocused his efforts on causes and initiatives he is passionate about. Climate change, human health, and technology remain his key interests, and Gates targets these areas directly through his family office and indirectly through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

While it’s the Foundation that’s often at the center of media attention when it comes to Gates’ investments, the billionaire also invests through his family office Cascade Investment, LLC and Gates Frontier, LLC. Starting from Cascade Investment, the firm has had a moderately busy 2024. It started the year by disclosing a sizable ownership stake (23.7% of common stock) in a mega car parts company with a presence in the US, Mexico, and Brazil. This stock is up 30% year-to-date in a car market that has slowed down accompanied by a weaker discretionary spending environment due to high interest rates and inflation.

Cascade Investment reported owning a 22% stock in this company on February 13th, and the disclosure came just in the nick of time. This was because just five days later, the firm reported its second fiscal quarter earnings. The results sent the stock soaring by 8.7% as the company benefited from higher car prices leading to greater demand for its products. The firm’s second-quarter revenue and earnings per share of $3.86 billion and $28.89 beat analyst estimates of $3.84 billion and $26.28. By July end, Cascade’s stake grew to 24.9% and since then, the car parts manufacturer’s stock has gained 5.6%.

Bill Gates’ second investment disclosure through Cascade came in October when the firm declared that it owned a 7.1% stake in a diversified firm that sells electricity and plastic products such as pipe and also provides contract manufacturing services. The stock is down 7.4% year-to-date, but since Gates’ filing, it has gained 1.8%. It is also one of Gates’ oldest investments, with the billionaire having held a stake in it as early as 2000. It is also one of his most controversial plays since the firm generates electricity through conventional and polluting energy sources.

While Gates continues to hold stakes in the utility company and the car parts provider, Cascade Investments has also been busy selling one stock. All of its sales started at the end of October and have continued since then. The firm is selling a specialty chemicals company that caters to water treatment and other associated needs of waste treatment, semiconductor fabrication, pharmaceutical, and other industries. The shares had gained 2.74% year-to-date before Gates’ first sale, and since then, they have lost 0.90%. Interestingly, this stock also ranked 16th on our list of Wells Fargo’s Best Growth Stocks: 28 Stocks With The Highest Consensus EPS Growth Estimates. Since it’s an industrial stock, its fortune depends on broader US economic activity which also made it unsurprising that the shares

These three stocks are ones that have seen activity from Gates’ firm Cascade Investment. However, they are not the only ones that the billionaire has tinkered with this year. Gates’ other investment firm, Gates Frontier, also disclosed perhaps the most interesting stock of this introduction in February. This stock operates in one of the hottest industries right now. The shares are up 32% year-to-date, and the firm claims that its robotics technology “uses proprietary human-like surgical robots to virtually transport surgeons inside the patient to perform minimally invasive surgery.” The firm’s V1.0 surgical robot is currently planned to be submitted to the FDA for approval by mid-2026. Since the firm does not sell any products, it does not generate any revenue either. Consequently, it is a very risky play and Gates has likely invested in the to fund a new technology that might also end up making him money.

Our Methodology

To make our list of the latest stocks in Bill Gates’ portfolio, we scanned through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s SEC filings for the third quarter and picked out the top ten stocks with the highest investment stakes.

For these stocks, we also mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Aerial view of a Waste Management Transfer Station, highlighting the scale of its operations.

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Investment Stake: $6.7 billion

Number of Hedge Fund Investors In Q3 2024: 54

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is a Houston-based mega-corporation that provides trash transportation services and operates recycling facilities and landfills. Its scale and market position, with a customer base covering more than 20 million people, offer Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) a wide moat in its industry and make it one of the largest waste management firms in the US. The energy-intensive nature of its operations means that the firm is vulnerable to any upticks in energy prices as these drive up its logistics, landfill, and recycling plant costs. Additionally, Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is also focusing on generating renewable energy for its facilities, which can help it bring down these costs in the future. The firm also depends on efficient route planning, and in 2024, it has benefited from higher prices in the wake of turmoil in the auto industry that has stressed the refurbishment market. Looking ahead, facility automation, route planning, and renewable energy will drive Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM)’s hypothesis.

Parnassus Investments mentioned Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) in its Q3 2024 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) announced second-quarter revenue and earnings that fell just short of analyst expectations, weighing on the stock. However, company management reiterated their optimistic full-year guidance for adjusted operating EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and free cash flow.”

Overall WM ranks 3rd on our list of the stocks in Bill Gates’ portfolio. While we acknowledge the potential of WM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than WM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

The $250 Trillion AI Hype is Real. A few years from now, you’ll probably wish you’d bought this stock.

When Jeff Bezos said that one breakthrough technology would shape Amazon’s destiny, even Wall Street’s biggest analysts were caught off guard.

Fast forward a year and Amazon’s new CEO Andy Jassy described generative AI as a “once-in-a-lifetime” technology that is already being used across Amazon to reinvent customer experiences.

At the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, Elon Musk predicted that by 2040 there would be at least 10 billion humanoid robots, with each priced between $20,000 and $25,000.

Do the math. According to Musk, this technology could be worth $250 trillion by 2040.

Put another way, that’s roughly equal to:

  • 175 Teslas
  • 107 Amazons
  • 140 Metas
  • 84 Googles
  • 65 Microsofts
  • And 55 Nvidias

And here’s the wild part — this $250 trillion wave isn’t tied to one company, but to an entire ecosystem of AI innovators set to reshape the global economy.

It’s a leap so massive, it could reshape how businesses, governments, and consumers operate worldwide.

Even if that $250 trillion figure sounds ambitious, major firms like PwC and McKinsey still see AI unlocking multi-trillion-dollar potential.

How could anything be worth that much?

The answer lies in a breakthrough so powerful it’s redefining how humanity works, learns, and creates.

And this breakthrough has already set off a frenzy among hedge funds and Wall Street’s top investors.

What most investors don’t realize is that one under-owned company holds the key to this $250 trillion revolution.

In fact, Verge argues this company’s supercheap AI technology should concern rivals.

Before I reveal the details, let’s talk about how some of the richest people on the planet are positioning themselves.

  • Bill Gates sees artificial intelligence as the “biggest technological advance in my lifetime,” more transformative than the internet or personal computer, capable of improving healthcare, education, and addressing climate change.
  • Larry Ellison — through Oracle, is spending billions on Nvidia chips and partnering with Cohere to embed generative AI across Oracle’s cloud and apps.
  • Warren Buffett — not known for tech hype — says this breakthrough could have a ‘hugely beneficial social impact.

When billionaires from Silicon Valley to Wall Street line up behind the same idea — you know it’s worth paying attention to.

Even as we admire what Tesla, Nvidia, Alphabet, and Microsoft have built, we believe an even greater opportunity lies elsewhere…

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This prediction might not be bold at all:

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AI, Tariffs, Nuclear Power: One Undervalued Stock Connects ALL the Dots (Before It Explodes!)

Artificial intelligence is the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. The time to invest in groundbreaking AI is now, and this stock is a steal!

AI is eating the world—and the machines behind it are ravenous.

Each ChatGPT query, each model update, each robotic breakthrough consumes massive amounts of energy. In fact, AI is already pushing global power grids to the brink.

Wall Street is pouring hundreds of billions into artificial intelligence—training smarter chatbots, automating industries, and building the digital future. But there’s one urgent question few are asking:

Where will all of that energy come from?

AI is the most electricity-hungry technology ever invented. Each data center powering large language models like ChatGPT consumes as much energy as a small city. And it’s about to get worse.

Even Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, issued a stark warning:

“The future of AI depends on an energy breakthrough.”

Elon Musk was even more blunt:

“AI will run out of electricity by next year.”

As the world chases faster, smarter machines, a hidden crisis is emerging behind the scenes. Power grids are strained. Electricity prices are rising. Utilities are scrambling to expand capacity.

And that’s where the real opportunity lies…

One little-known company—almost entirely overlooked by most AI investors—could be the ultimate backdoor play. It’s not a chipmaker. It’s not a cloud platform. But it might be the most important AI stock in the US owns critical energy infrastructure assets positioned to feed the coming AI energy spike.

As demand from AI data centers explodes, this company is gearing up to profit from the most valuable commodity in the digital age: electricity.

The “Toll Booth” Operator of the AI Energy Boom

  • It owns critical nuclear energy infrastructure assets, positioning it at the heart of America’s next-generation power strategy.
  • It’s one of the only global companies capable of executing large-scale, complex EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) projects across oil, gas, renewable fuels, and industrial infrastructure.
  • It plays a pivotal role in U.S. LNG exportation—a sector about to explode under President Trump’s renewed “America First” energy doctrine.

Trump has made it clear: Europe and U.S. allies must buy American LNG.

And our company sits in the toll booth—collecting fees on every drop exported.

But that’s not all…

As Trump’s proposed tariffs push American manufacturers to bring their operations back home, this company will be first in line to rebuild, retrofit, and reengineer those facilities.

AI. Energy. Tariffs. Onshoring. This One Company Ties It All Together.

While the world is distracted by flashy AI tickers, a few smart investors are quietly scooping up shares of the one company powering it all from behind the scenes.

AI needs energy. Energy needs infrastructure.

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This company has its finger in every pie—and Wall Street is just starting to notice.

Wall Street is noticing this company also because it is quietly riding all of these tailwinds—without the sky-high valuation.

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This company is completely debt-free.

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It also owns a huge equity stake in another red-hot AI play, giving investors indirect exposure to multiple AI growth engines without paying a premium.

And here’s what the smart money has started whispering…

The Hedge Fund Secret That’s Starting to Leak Out

This stock is so off-the-radar, so absurdly undervalued, that some of the most secretive hedge fund managers in the world have begun pitching it at closed-door investment summits.

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Why? Because excluding cash and investments, this company is trading at less than 7 times earnings.

And that’s for a business tied to:

  • The AI infrastructure supercycle
  • The onshoring boom driven by Trump-era tariffs
  • A surge in U.S. LNG exports
  • And a unique footprint in nuclear energy—the future of clean, reliable power

You simply won’t find another AI and energy stock this cheap… with this much upside.

This isn’t a hype stock. It’s not riding on hope.

It’s delivering real cash flows, owns critical infrastructure, and holds stakes in other major growth stories.

This is your chance to get in before the rockets take off!

Disruption is the New Name of the Game: Let’s face it, complacency breeds stagnation.

AI is the ultimate disruptor, and it’s shaking the foundations of traditional industries.

The companies that embrace AI will thrive, while the dinosaurs clinging to outdated methods will be left in the dust.

As an investor, you want to be on the side of the winners, and AI is the winning ticket.

The Talent Pool is Overflowing: The world’s brightest minds are flocking to AI.

From computer scientists to mathematicians, the next generation of innovators is pouring its energy into this field.

This influx of talent guarantees a constant stream of groundbreaking ideas and rapid advancements.

By investing in AI, you’re essentially backing the future.

The future is powered by artificial intelligence, and the time to invest is NOW.

Don’t be a spectator in this technological revolution.

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Here’s what to do next:

1. Head over to our website and subscribe to our Premium Readership Newsletter for just $9.99.

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No worries about auto-renewals! Our 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee applies whether you’re joining us for the first time or renewing your subscription a month later!