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Bill Gates Held This 'Garbage' Stock Since 2008 — And He's Still Buying
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Microsoft founder Bill Gates isn’t cashing out of his favorite waste hauler — he’s piling in even harder.

Cascade Investment, Gates’ private investment vehicle, is executing an extended buying streak in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG), snapping up roughly 534,000 additional shares on Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 worth an estimated $119.1 million, according to a new SEC Form 4 filing

The new filing pushes Cascade’s total spend on Republic Services stock since Aug. 25 to roughly $424.8 million across 25 separate open-market purchases, spanning 1.92 million shares, at prices ranging from about $220 to $224 a share.

Because Cascade already owns more than 10% of Republic Services, it is required to disclose its trades within days rather than waiting for a quarterly 13F, giving an unusually granular look at how aggressively Gates has been buying.

A day-by-day breakdown of the buying spree:

Date Shares Est. Value
Aug. 25 269,477 $59.8 million
Aug. 26 275,500 $61.0 million
Aug. 27 284,600 $62.5 million
Aug. 28 251,400 $55.6 million
Aug. 31 301,000 $66.8 million
Sept. 1 204,800 $45.6 million
Sept. 2 329,200 $73.5 million

Trash Pick-Up

Gates has held a position in Republic Services since 2008, making it one of Cascade’s longest-running concentrated holdings outside of his stake in Berkshire Hathaway.

After the latest round of buying, Cascade now holds an estimated 115 million shares of the company — a stake that underscores just how central the trash and recycling giant has become to Gates’s personal portfolio.

Republic Services is the second-largest waste and recycling operator in the U.S., behind only Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), and has long been viewed by investors as a defensive, cash-generative business with pricing power and steady demand regardless of economic conditions — the kind of “boring but reliable” profile that fits Gates’s long-horizon investing style.

The size and cadence of the buying — five-figure share blocks on nearly every trading day for more than a week — signals conviction rather than a one-off rebalancing move.

With Cascade required to report further purchases in near real time, traders can expect more Form 4 filings if the buying continues.

Photo: Shutterstock

Disclaimer:This article represents the opinion of the author only. It does not represent the opinion of Webull, nor should it be viewed as an indication that Webull either agrees with or confirms the truthfulness or accuracy of the information. It should not be considered as investment advice from Webull or anyone else, nor should it be used as the basis of any investment decision.
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