We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Stocks to Buy According to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) stands against Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust's other stock picks.

Bill Gates has invested billions of dollars in stocks to fund the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, widely regarded as the world's largest private foundation, formed through the merger of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation. According to the Trust, its aim is to address major humanitarian concerns such as poverty, a lack of opportunity, and infectious diseases. Over the past 30 years, Bill and Melinda have contributed an estimated $47.7 billion of their fortune to their foundation and predecessor. The foundation's trust maintains a highly concentrated equities portfolio, reflecting the influence of Bill Gates and his longtime friend and former foundation trustee, Warren Buffett.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has set a record $8.74 billion budget for 2025, with intentions to increase yearly distributions to $9 billion the following year. Mark Suzman, the foundation's CEO, stated that the record approval by its governing council is consistent with the foundation's goal of a world "where everyone, everywhere, deserves the chance to live a healthy, productive life."

Gates' predictions for AI

Previously regarded as an aspect of science fiction, AI appears to have entered ordinary life and is now finding its way to consumers and businesses. Bill Gates predicts that by 2035, artificial intelligence will take over roles traditionally held by doctors, teachers, and other professionals, ushering in what he calls the era of "free intelligence." According to Gates, this transition will result in rapid advancements in AI technology that will become firmly integrated into daily life, ranging from better healthcare solutions and more accurate diagnoses to broad access to AI tutors and virtual assistants.

However, while the potential is enormous, Gates admits that there are "understandable and valid" concerns about AI's existing capabilities. In a 2023 blog post, he stated that even the most advanced AI systems make mistakes and can contribute to the spread of misinformation. Still, Gates is optimistic: if he were to establish a new firm today, he told CNBC Make It in September 2024, it would be an "AI-centric" startup.

Our Methodology

For this list, we picked stocks from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s 13F portfolio as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2024. These equities are also popular among elite hedge funds.

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 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

A combine harvesting crops, showing the capabilities of the company's agriculture equipment.

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s Stake: $1.5 billion

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 57

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE), also known as John Deere, is an American firm that manufactures agricultural, heavy, and forestry machinery, diesel engines, heavy equipment drivetrains, and lawn care equipment. The company also provides financial services and engages in other business operations.

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) reported revenues of $6.81 billion in the first quarter of 2025, which fell more than $1 billion behind analysts' expectations, owing to reduced shipping volumes and persistent market headwinds. The company's Construction & Forestry division had a 38% decrease in sales to $2 billion, while operating profit experienced an 89% decrease due to adverse pricing and greater R&D expenditures. However, the company's Financial Services segment saw an 11% increase in net income to $230 million.

Nightview Capital stated the following regarding Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:

“In January, we purchased shares of Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) based on a simple thesis: the 185-year-old company is evolving from a machinery manufacturer into a technology leader in an industry that urgently needs innovation.

Deere’s vision of autonomous tractors, dump trucks, and mowers address critical labor shortages, enabling farmers, builders, and landscapers to maintain productivity with fewer workers.”

Deere’s potential to transform the multi-trillion-dollar agriculture market is significant. Technologies like its See & Spray system, which reduced herbicide use by nearly 60% across over one million acres in 2024, demonstrate its ability to drive efficiency and environmental benefits. Its connected ecosystems, such as the John Deere Operations Center, are integrating machinery and data to improve decision-making and outcomes for customers.

The company has also implemented structural improvements to weather challenging market conditions. In 2024, Deere generated $6.9 billion in operating cash flow from equipment operations, achieving 18.2% operating margins despite lower shipment volumes. These measures support reinvestment in technology and steady shareholder returns, while maintaining operational discipline.

Deere’s continued pivot toward technology-driven solutions and recurring revenue models, such as pay-per-use and software licensing, enhances its ability to serve modern farmers and contractors effectively. We are optimistic about the company’s ability to lead innovation in its markets and will share further updates as we continue to evaluate its long-term prospects.”

Overall DE ranks 6th on our list of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust's stock picks. While we acknowledge the potential for DE as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%.  If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than DE but trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

 

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

 

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