<div id="readability-page-1"><div> <h2>Key Points</h2><ul><li>The Gates Foundation Trust sold off the last of its position in Microsoft stock.</li><li>The $31 billion endowment also added one under-the-radar healthcare stock to its portfolio.</li><li>This stock, a dividend growth stalwart with promising growth forecasts in its corner as well, is worth a closer look for long-term investors.</li><li>10 stocks we like better than West Pharmaceutical Services ›</li></ul>For over 25 years, Bill Gates, primarily through the Gates Foundation Trust, has been giving away an increasing share of the wealth created from his founding and scaling up of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) into one of the world's leading tech companies.Gates' foundation hasn't kept its $31.6 billion endowment entirely in Microsoft shares. In fact, after decades of slowly selling off its position, the Gates Foundation sold off the last of it during the first quarter of this year, according to the company's latest 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an &#34;Indispensable Monopoly&#34; providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »You have likely heard of the fund's top holdings, which include Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB), WM (NYSE: WM), and Canadian National Railway (NYSE: CNI), but alongside these high-profile stocks are a few under-the-radar names.One that comes to mind is West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE: WST). The foundation only initiated the position last quarter, but given how this stock could become one of the future Dividend Kings, or stocks with over 50 years of consecutive dividend growth, who knows? The Gates Foundation could hold onto it for quite some time.<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg3MjI4NC9nZXR0eWltYWdlcy0xMzQ2NTE4MzA3LTEyMDB4ODAwLTViMmRmNzkuanBnJnc9NzAw?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="700" height="466" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg3MjI4NC9nZXR0eWltYWdlcy0xMzQ2NTE4MzA3LTEyMDB4ODAwLTViMmRmNzkuanBnJnc9NzAw"/>Image source: Getty Images. <h2>West Pharmaceutical Services at a glance</h2>Exton, Pennsylvania-based West Pharmaceutical may not be one of the most well-known healthcare stocks, but this isn't some small enterprise. Rather, West is a leading manufacturer of containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs.In recent years, the company's earnings have held steady, with the exception of a dip in revenue and earnings in 2024. Operating in a relatively recession-resistant industry, West's earnings consistency is not surprising. After several years of steady results, West may be approaching a period of elevated earnings growth.Sell-side forecasts call for West Pharmaceutical Services to report earnings per share (EPS) of $8.62 and $9.55 in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Compared to the forecast EPS of $7.29 for 2025, this suggests annualized earnings growth of 14% to 15%. This helps to explain why the stock trades at such an elevated valuation: 37.6 times forward earnings.That said, even if the company's growth slows once again, a factor may help shares deliver strong total returns in the years ahead.<h2>A Dividend King in the making?</h2>At first glance, West Pharmaceutical Services' dividend may seem small relative to the stock price. The stock's current forward dividend yield is just under 0.3%. However, considering the company's dividend growth track record, these payouts could become an increasingly important component of total returns over time.For 32 years in a row, this company has increased its dividend. In other words, the stock is less than two decades away from reaching Dividend King status. Over the past 20 years, dividend growth has averaged around 6.7% annually.Although dividend growth has slowed down in recent years, the aforementioned earnings forecasts suggest a dividend growth resurgence could be around the corner. Strong dividend growth, coupled with continued earnings growth, could yield total returns that make this an appealing opportunity for investors in both dividend and growth stocks.<h2>Should you buy stock in West Pharmaceutical Services right now?</h2> Before you buy stock in West Pharmaceutical Services, 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 West Pharmaceutical Services 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 $462,983!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,375,447!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 212% for the S&amp;P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2026. Thomas Niel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends Canadian National Railway and WM. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. </div></div>

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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust sold its entire Microsoft stake in Q1 and initiated a position in West Pharmaceutical Services (WST). WST, a leading manufacturer of drug delivery systems, has raised dividends for 32 years and is projected to see 14-15% annualized earnings growth through 2027. Despite a low yield, the stock's consistent dividend history and growth forecasts make it an attractive long-term investment.

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Billionaire Bill Gates' Foundation Dumped Microsoft but Loaded Up on This Dividend Champion