Gates Foundation Adds to Selected Blue Chip Holdings (MSFT, BRK.A, FDX, KO, MCD, TV, WM, WMT, XOM, BRK.B)

The endowment of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, noted for its value focus and close association with both Gates and Warren Buffett, was putting money to work in its portfolio during the fourth quarter of 2010.

Bill Gates has become well-known for setting aside a major portion of the substantial wealth he accrued with Microsoft (MSFT) for his Foundation, which, with assets of $33 billion as of June 30, 2010, is the largest transparently operated charitable foundation in the world. It aims, among other things, to combat poverty and address various global health issues.

The Foundation counts Gates’ friend and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett among its trustees. Buffett made headlines in 2006 by pledging $30 billion in Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) stock to the Gates’ charitable efforts. While Gates’ money is managed by his investment officer, Michael Larson, the Microsoft founder’s proximity to Buffett leads many to believe that he is privy to the thinking of the world’s most famous investor. Gates sits on the Berkshire Hathaway board of directors.

Looking at the Gates Foundation’s holdings from the end of 2010, one can see that the endowment continues to sell shares in its massive Berkshire Hathaway stake. Sales from the massive Berkshire stake are used to fund the foundation’s programs.

Meanwhile, Gates was adding to several blue chip stakes, including FedEx (FDX), Coca-Cola (KO), McDonald’s (MCD), Mexican broadcaster Grupo Televisa (TV), Waste Management (WM), Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), and ExxonMobil (XOM).

Looking at tickerspy.com’s graph charting the performance of the Gates Foundation’s end-of-2010 top holdings so far this quarter, one can see that they are trailing the market. If you want to see how your performance stacks up to the Gates Foundation’s or see some of his other holdings, visit tickerspy.com to see the endowment’s top positions and a chart of their combined performance.

Pro portfolio performance is based on institutions’ top-15 holdings as disclosed in quarter-end filings with the SEC. Pro performance does not take into account additional holdings beyond the top 15 nor does it include positions that are not required to be disclosed by the SEC. As such, Pro portfolio performance should be considered an approximation and not a precise record of how an institution has performed over time.

Tags: BRK-A, BRK-B, FDX, KO, MCD, MSFT, TV, WM, WMT, XOM