RSG
Gates is still buying the trash business
Bill Gates apparently looked at Republic Services and said, “Yes, more of that.” Cascade Investment, his private investment shop, has been on a buying binge in RSG, scooping up about 1.92 million shares across 25 open-market purchases since Aug. 25.
The latest chunk alone covered roughly 534,000 shares on September 1st and September 2nd, worth about $119.1 million. Add it all up and Cascade has spent an estimated $424.8 million in less than two weeks. That’s not window dressing. That’s a man with a very specific trash obsession.
Why investors are paying attention
Republic Services is the kind of business that doesn’t need hype to work. People make garbage in good times, bad times, and whatever economic mood swing we’re currently in. That makes the company feel a bit like the financial equivalent of plumbing: not glamorous, but absolutely not optional.
The buying also stands out because Cascade owns more than 10% of the company, which means it has to file trades quickly. Translation: traders are getting a rare live peek at Gates’ appetite instead of waiting around for a sleepy quarterly disclosure.
Big picture
This is a signal, not a fling. Gates has owned Republic Services since 2008, and the latest spree says he still sees durable value in a business built on steady demand, pricing power, and a whole lot of suburban curbside reality. If you’re looking for the opposite of a meme stock, this is it.