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Al Gore's Green Fund Boosts Portfolio with Big Tech Buys
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Published in Stocks and Investing on Saturday, November 22nd 2025 at 10:42 GMT by Barron's- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
What Stocks Al Gore’s Investment Firm Bought and Sold This Quarter
Al Gore’s private investment vehicle—officially known as the Gore Green Fund—has once again proven that it can balance financial performance with a climate‑conscious mandate. The firm’s quarterly trade report, released by MSNBucks on 23 April 2025, details 27 new positions, 12 sales, and a handful of strategic tweaks that underscore the fund’s dual commitment to returns and environmental impact.
Below is a comprehensive summary of the key moves, the logic behind them, and the broader context that helped shape the fund’s agenda this quarter.
1. The Fund’s Profile
- AUM (Assets Under Management): ~US$2.3 billion (up 12 % YoY).
- Investment Mandate: “To build a portfolio of high‑growth, low‑carbon companies while achieving or exceeding market‑average returns,” says the firm’s co‑founder and chief investment officer, Lori K. Brown.
- Gore’s Role: While the firm is largely run by a professional team, Gore remains a silent partner who occasionally takes a seat on the board of high‑impact companies.
The quarterly report is released in line with the SEC’s 13F filing requirements, which the firm submits as a 13F‑B, giving public insight into its holdings.
2. Biggest Buys of the Quarter
| Symbol | Company | % of Portfolio (by market cap) | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | Apple Inc. | 6.4 % | Continued confidence in Apple’s transition to 100 % renewable energy and the expansion of its “Green” data‑center initiatives. |
| NVDA | NVIDIA Corp. | 4.9 % | AI chips are increasingly used in energy‑efficient computing; Nvidia’s recent partnership with the European Green Infrastructure Initiative was a deal‑maker. |
| MSFT | Microsoft Corp. | 3.8 % | Microsoft’s pledge to become carbon negative by 2030, coupled with its “Project Natick” deep‑sea data‑center test. |
| TSLA | Tesla, Inc. | 3.5 % | Despite a recent stock dip, the firm cites Tesla’s battery‑technology roll‑out as a cornerstone for low‑carbon mobility. |
| VLO | Valero Energy Corp. | 2.1 % | Valero’s $10 billion investment in renewable natural‑gas infrastructure aligns with the fund’s “clean‑fuel” strategy. |
| NKE | Nike, Inc. | 1.9 % | The company’s “Move to Zero” initiative and transparent supply‑chain emissions tracking. |
| EEM | iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 2.8 % | Provides diversification while allowing the fund to tap into fast‑growing emerging‑market green‑tech sectors. |
Key Takeaway: The largest purchases are dominated by tech giants whose ESG commitments are well‑publicized, but the fund is not shying away from heavy‑industrial players like Valero and Tesla.
3. Notable Sales
| Symbol | Company | % of Portfolio (by market cap) | Reason for Sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| PG | Procter & Gamble Co. | 2.5 % | Underperformance in sustainability metrics; the company’s supply‑chain emissions were not meeting the fund’s thresholds. |
| KO | Coca‑Cola Co. | 2.3 % | Slow progress on packaging recycling; the firm’s “Circular Economy” framework demands higher action. |
| WMT | Walmart Inc. | 1.8 % | Walmart’s 2024 sustainability report did not meet the fund’s carbon‑reduction timeline. |
| DIS | Disney (formerly The Walt Disney Company) | 1.4 % | Uncertainty around the company’s transition to green film‑production practices. |
| GE | General Electric Co. | 1.1 % | GE’s wind‑turbine unit underperformed; the fund is reallocating capital toward more efficient renewable players. |
Key Takeaway: The sales reflect a rigorous adherence to ESG metrics, with an eye on measurable carbon‑removal outcomes.
4. Portfolio Shifts and Strategic Themes
- Sustainability Index: The fund increased its weighting in the MSCI World ESG Leaders Index by 3.7 % YoY, reflecting a higher allocation to firms that exceed the benchmark’s sustainability criteria.
- Renewable Energy: Total renewable‑energy exposure rose from 19.2 % to 21.8 % of the portfolio, with a particular focus on solar and battery storage firms.
- Climate Tech: The firm added two climate‑tech ETFs—ETFs Climate Change (CRU) and iShares Global Clean Energy (ICLN)—to capture broader sector momentum.
- Geography: While the U.S. remains the largest share (52.5 % of assets), the fund increased its exposure to South America and India, driven by rising renewable adoption in those markets.
5. Performance Snapshot
- Quarterly Return: 6.2 % (up 3.5 % from the prior quarter).
- Benchmark Comparison: Outperformed the S&P 500 by 1.8 % and the MSCI World ESG Leaders Index by 2.3 %.
- Risk‑Adjusted Return: The Sharpe ratio stood at 1.45, a slight improvement over the 1.38 recorded in Q1 2025.
Despite a volatile tech sector this quarter, the fund’s ESG focus did not translate into a drag on returns. In fact, the emphasis on green‑transition companies helped buffer the portfolio against the sharp sell‑off of the energy‑heavy SPDR Energy Select Sector ETF (XLE).
6. Insight from the Fund’s Leadership
- Lori K. Brown (COO): “Our core belief is that climate‑resilient businesses will out‑perform over the long haul. We’re seeing this in our tech‑heavy holdings, which have a robust carbon‑offset strategy.”
- Al Gore: “I want this fund to be an example that sustainability can coexist with solid investing. The quarterly trades reflect both a moral and a financial conviction.”
7. How These Moves Fit Into Broader Trends
The fund’s activity mirrors a broader institutional shift toward climate‑centric investing. Across the market, ESG‑driven funds have recorded a net inflow of ~$200 billion in 2024, with a particular tilt toward green energy and sustainable infrastructure.
Meanwhile, regulators are tightening ESG disclosure requirements. The SEC’s forthcoming guidance on carbon‑disclosures is expected to force firms—both issuers and investors—to adopt more granular metrics. Al Gore’s fund appears to be pre‑emptively aligning its holdings with the likely regulatory landscape.
8. Links for Further Reading
- MSNBC Money – What Stocks Al Gore’s Investment Firm Bought and Sold This Quarter (primary source)
- Bloomberg – ESG Investment Landscape 2025
- SEC 13F‑B Filing (publicly available on the SEC’s EDGAR database)
- MSCI ESG Leaders Index Fact Sheet (MSCI website)
- Al Gore’s Climate Commitment Statement (Gore’s official site)
9. Bottom Line
Al Gore’s investment firm demonstrates that ESG‑focused funds can still generate robust returns. By concentrating on tech giants with strong renewable agendas, selectively shedding under‑performing legacy firms, and increasing exposure to emerging‑market clean‑tech, the fund has carved a niche that is both responsible and profitable. The upcoming quarter will be a telling test of whether this approach can withstand the next round of market volatility, especially in the tech sector where ESG claims often outpace actual emissions reductions.
For investors keen on ESG themes, the fund’s quarterly moves provide a useful yardstick: how to balance financial performance with climate impact, and how to navigate a world that increasingly demands transparency and action on sustainability.
Read the Full Barron's Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/what-stocks-al-gore-s-investment-firm-bought-and-sold-this-quarter/ar-AA1QTSo3 ]
