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Globe and Mail
29 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Here Are Billionaire Bill Ackman's 5 Biggest Stock Holdings
Key Points Bill Ackman buys shares in companies for the long term. The billionaire owns only 10 stocks, with a heavy concentration in five of them. Ackman even owns a 46.9% stake in one of his top five stocks. 10 stocks we like better than Uber Technologies › Billionaire Bill Ackman founded Pershing Square Capital Management with $54 million in 2004. Today, Ackman's net worth exceeds $9 billion, while the hedge fund's assets under management exceed $18 billion. Pershing Square holds shares in only 10 publicly traded companies, but 70.1% of its portfolio is concentrated in five stocks as per the latest 13-F filing. Here are Ackman's five biggest stock holdings. 1. Uber Technologies (18.5%) Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) is the world's largest ride-sharing company and also offers food delivery and freight transport services. Uber enjoys the benefits of network effects and a large global footprint and sees huge potential in autonomous vehicles. Ackman believes Uber stock could even double over the next three to four years. 2. Brookfield Corp (18.01%) Brookfield Corp (NYSE: BN) owns a 73% stake in Brookfield Asset Management. The alternative asset manager invests in renewable energy, real estate, infrastructure, and business and industrial services. Ackman is excited about Brookfield's goals to grow annual earnings per share by 20% and generate $47 billion in free cash flow over the next five years. 3. Restaurant Brands International (12.85%) Restaurant Brands (NYSE: QSR) owns Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs. It operates over 32,000 restaurants worldwide, primarily through franchisees. Ackman sees strong long-term growth potential in Restaurant Brands, which aims to grow same-store sales and systemwide sales by over 3% and 8%, respectively, between 2024 and 2028. UBER data by YCharts. 4. Howard Hughes Holdings (11.71%) Ackman has been involved with Howard Hughes (NYSE: HHH) since its formation in 2010 after a spin-off and now owns a 46.9% stake in the real estate developer. Ackman now wants to convert Howard Hughes into a diversified holding company akin to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. 5. Chipotle Mexican Grill (9.07%) Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG), known for its burritos and tacos, owns over 3,800 restaurants. Chipotle is now expanding globally and rolling out new technologies. Although Brian Niccol, who was monumental in Chipotle's growth, quit as the CEO in 2024, Ackman believes the present management under new CEO Scott Boatwright will continue to deliver. Should you invest $1,000 in Uber Technologies right now? Before you buy stock in Uber Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Uber Technologies wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,119,863!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 4, 2025 Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway, Brookfield, Brookfield Corporation, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Howard Hughes, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Asset Management and Restaurant Brands International and recommends the following options: short September 2025 $60 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
2 Surefire Stocks to Invest $1,000 in for the Long Haul
Key Points Alphabet can overcome an antitrust challenge thanks to strong growth prospects and substantial cash flow. Intuitive Surgical leads its niche of the medical device market and still has ample whitespace ahead. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Investing in stocks is both accessible to the general public and likely to yield strong returns over the long term. That's what makes it one of the best ways to increase your wealth. However, putting your money in the right stocks is crucial. Some companies may turn out to be terrible investments, as they significantly lag behind the market and may even cease to exist. Investors can avoid that fate by investing in ETFs that track major indexes or by selecting stocks that have the potential to outperform broader equities over extended periods. These are typically well-established, highly profitable companies with solid businesses, excellent prospects, and strong competitive edges. Here are two brilliant examples: Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL), and Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG). Here's why putting $1,000 into either of those stocks would be a great move. 1. Alphabet Alphabet has been one of the more undervalued among the trillion-dollar tech leaders of late. In fairness, that's because it faces some potential headwinds related to antitrust lawsuits in the U.S. Regulators want the company to relinquish its Chrome browser, a key component of its advertising business. While that's worth keeping an eye on, Alphabet continues to impress with its financial results. The company's second-quarter earnings were no different. The tech giant grew its revenue by 14% year over year to $96.4 billion, while its net earnings per share (EPS) of $2.31 were up 22.2% compared to the year-ago period. Some of Alphabet's current growth drivers, including cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI), should remain so for many years to come. The company pointed out that its cloud division, Google Cloud, now has a revenue run rate of more than $50 billion. Though Alphabet's advertising business remains its main cash cow, cloud and AI could take over in the next decade. Investors should be excited about that since it will mean that the company will become far less reliant on its advertising business, which would take the biggest hit if Alphabet loses Chrome. So, the more diversified the business becomes, the less of a risk this potential worst-case scenario of losing Chrome is. Furthermore, Alphabet is exploring other potential opportunities, including streaming through YouTube, a leader in that niche, and self-driving cars through its subsidiary, Waymo. Lastly, Alphabet has a strong competitive edge from multiple sources, including Google's network effect and strong brand name, as well as the switching costs associated with its cloud solutions. Alphabet is firing on all cylinders, and the company's long-term prospects remain bright. Even if regulators in the U.S. succeed in forcing the company to relinquish its Chrome browser, Alphabet should recover due to having multiple lucrative opportunities and significant amounts of free cash flow -- to the tune of $5.3 billion as of the end of the second quarter. That's significantly lower than the $13.5 billion it had as of the end of Q2 2024, but that's partly because Alphabet is reinvesting substantial amounts, including a projected $85 billion this year, into capital expenditures to support various growth opportunities. This investment could pay for itself several times over in the long run as the company makes further progress in cloud, AI, and other areas. Alphabet remains well-positioned to outperform the market over the next decade. Investors can get five of the company's shares for $1,000. 2. Intuitive Surgical Intuitive Surgical, the leader in the robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) market, has struggled this year. Trump's aggressive tariffs could take a bite out of the company's earnings, which is why many investors are choosing to stay away from the stock. However, the medical device specialist's outlook is still strong, at least for investors willing to be patient. For one, Intuitive Surgical continues to record excellent financial results. The company's second-quarter revenue was $2.44 billion, 21% higher than the year-ago period, thanks to a 17% year-over-year increase in the number of procedures performed with its crown jewel, the Da Vinci System. Intuitive Surgical's adjusted EPS came in at $2.19, 23% higher than Q2 2024. The company has had little competition in the RAS field, and although that's about to change, several factors should allow it to perform well over the next decade. First, it will be challenging for newcomers to catch up, as Intuitive Surgical has been earning indications for the Da Vinci System for years. It is approved for use in general surgeries, bariatric procedures, urologic procedures, gynecologic procedures, and more. Second, since the Da Vinci System is expensive and requires a learning curve, after putting considerable time and money into acquiring one and training medical staff on it, healthcare facilities will need a lot of convincing to switch to a competitor. In other words, Intuitive Surgical benefits from high switching costs. Third, the company is an innovator. It earned clearance for the fifth generation of its crown jewel last year and will undoubtedly continue to improve the device. Lastly, there is significant whitespace in the RAS market. Intuitive Surgical will benefit from the world's aging population, as older individuals are more likely to require many of the procedures performed with its Da Vinci system. Even with the current volume of surgeries, RAS procedures have captured only 5% of those eligible for robotic surgery. That points to a massive opportunity, and as a leader in the market, Intuitive Surgical should benefit. The stock may be down this year, but it could deliver superior returns over the long run. With $1,000, investors can purchase two shares. Should you invest $1,000 in Alphabet right now? Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,119,863!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 4, 2025
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
The Smartest High-Yield Energy Stocks to Buy With $2,000 Right Now
Key Points The energy sector is seeing a big shift, with the world moving from dirtier energy sources to cleaner ones. TotalEnergies is an integrated energy giant that's got a big yield and a growing electricity business. Enbridge is a high-yield midstream giant shifting toward natural gas and dipping into renewable power. 10 stocks we like better than Enbridge › Between 2020 and 2050, electricity is expected to rise from 21% of final energy use in the United States to 32%. That's a huge change and one that is directionally similar to the changes taking shape throughout the world. Some energy companies are sticking to their oil and natural gas roots. Others, like TotalEnergies (NYSE: TTE) and Enbridge (NYSE: ENB), see the writing on the wall and are preparing now. If you have $2,000 to invest today, getting ahead of the curve could be a good call for your portfolio. What do TotalEnergies and Enbridge do? TotalEnergies is what is known as an integrated energy company. It has operations in the upstream (oil and natural gas production), the midstream (pipelines), and the downstream (chemicals and refining). Each of these segments of the broader energy sector operates a little differently through the energy cycle. And, thus, having an integrated business model helps to soften the peaks and valleys inherent to this commodity-driven business. Enbridge is focused on the midstream space. It essentially collects tolls from customers that use its energy transportation assets, including things like pipelines and storage. This model provides reliable cash flows as the volume passing through its midstream system is more important than the price of oil and natural gas. Focusing on the midstream is a good call for investors who want energy exposure but who would rather avoid commodity risk. What are TotalEnergies and Enbridge doing differently? Basically, the core of both of these businesses is still oil and natural gas. That's not a bad thing. Although there is an energy transition taking place, it is likely to be a decades-long affair. They are, thus, using profits from dirtier energy sources to fund their investment into cleaner energy sources, like renewable power. For example, both TotalEnergies and Enbridge have been investing in renewable power like solar and wind. TotalEnergies has also been buying electric utility businesses. Enbridge, meanwhile, has also been focused on increasing its exposure to reliable natural gas businesses, like regulated natural gas utility operations, which are expected to be important transitional assets as the world moves in a green direction. To be fair, neither TotalEnergies nor Enbridge is jumping in with both feet here. They are dipping their toes in, slowly building businesses as the world begins its transition away from carbon fuels. The idea is to change with the world, while many of their peers are simply sticking it out as long as they can with carbon fuels. If you like the idea of hedging your bets, however, TotalEnergies and Enbridge will be good choices for you. With $2,000, you can buy around 33 shares of TotalEnergies and 42 of Enbridge. You'll be rewarded with big yields, too The energy transition angle is interesting on its own. But the big story is that TotalEnergies has a lofty 6.5% dividend yield while Enbridge's yield sits at 5.9%. The average energy stock's yield is around 3.4%. And both have long histories of supporting dividends through the market cycle. Enbridge's record is better, with 30 annual increases. TotalEnergies' resilience shone through during the coronavirus pandemic when it maintained its dividend even as its European peers cut their dividends. There is one caveat here. Both Enbridge and TotalEnergies are foreign companies, so investors have to pay foreign taxes (a portion of which U.S. investors can claim back come tax time). And the actual dividends collected will vary along with exchange rates. But if you want to have energy exposure, collect large dividends, and prepare today for a future that's "cleaner", these two energy giants should be on your radar right now. Should you invest $1,000 in Enbridge right now? Before you buy stock in Enbridge, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Enbridge wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,119,863!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 4, 2025
