Bill Gates' Portfolio Holdings and Recent Buy

February 19, 2009

2 minute read

Bill Gates, Microsoft Bill Gates has recently declared that Cascade Investment, the company that is his investment arm, has acquired a 5.2% stake in Eastman Kodak. Kodak is still in the midst of a rapid and challenging transition from film to digital media and their sales revenues were down 24% in Q4. The tech saavy founder of Microsoft, however, likes low-tech transports (railways), utilities, television (Grupo Televisa, consumer non-durables (FEMSA, Coca Cola FEMSA), Berkshire Hathaway, and Inflation-protected ETFs, for his portfolio. Here from Barron's, Tech Trader Daily, is a summary of the SEC filings discoveries.

Nonetheless, it turns out this morning that Eastman Kodak has attracted no less a fan than Bill Gates. In a filing with the SEC, the Microsoft co-founder disclosed a 5.2% stake in the company’s shares, with positions held by both Cascade Investment, his investment arm, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In another filing this morning, Cascade provided a list of its largest holdings; here are all the stock in which it holds at least $10 million worth of securities:

Canadian National Railway (CNI), $1.279 Billion

Republic Services (RSG), a trash hauler, $879 million.

Fomento Economico Mexicano, (FMX) a Mexican bottler known as FEMSA, $678 million.

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK), run by Bill’s pal Warren Buffett, $391 million.

Grupo Televisa (TV), Mexican media play, $301 million.

AutoNation (AN), operator of auto dealiers, $112 million.

Otter Tail (OTTR), an electric power company, $79 million.

PNM Resources (PNM), another electric power company, $71 million.

Kodak (EK), $52.3 million.

Western Asset/Claymore Inflation-Linked Securities & Income Fund (WIA), a closed end fund, $49 million.

Western Asset/Claymore Inflation- Linked Opportunities & Income Fund (WIW), another closed end fund, $46 million.

Coca-Cola Femsa (KOF), $37.3 million.

Patriot Coal (PCX), $15.1 million.