Warren Buffett is unquestionably the most famous and influential investor in modern history based on his extraordinary performance record. Not surprisingly, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A), the holding company that employs the Oracle of Omaha as chairman and CEO, receives widespread media attention and scrutiny, even though Buffett is no longer making every investment decision.
Despite his unparalleled success, Buffett’s investment model has long been transparent, straightforward and consistent. He invests in large, blue-chip companies with strong balance sheets and attractive valuations. Buffett often invests for the long term, but he has never been afraid to make significant new investments or exit long-term holdings.
key takeaways
- The five biggest positions in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio are Apple Inc. (AAPL), Bank of America Corp (BAC), Chevron (CVX), The Coca-Cola Company (KO), and American Express Company (AXP).
- Apple is Berkshire’s largest holding, accounting for 39% of its stock portfolio.
- Top 5 holdings account for approximately 75% of the portfolio.
Here are the top five stocks in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio, as per the 2022 year-end report. (Latest figures available).
1. Apple
Apple, the maker of iPhones, is by far Berkshire Hathaway’s largest stock, valued at $119 billion by the end of 2022, accounting for 39% of its stock portfolio and 5.7% of Apple’s outstanding shares.
Berkshire Hathaway acquired the bulk of its stake in Apple between 2016 and 2019 for just over $35 billion.
In 2022, Berkshire Hathaway added another 333,856 shares of Apple, already its largest single holding, worth approximately $119 billion as of December 31, 2022.
2. Bank of America
Berkshire Hathaway’s second-largest holding is Bank of America, whose holdings were valued at $34.2 billion by the end of 2022, which is 11% of the portfolio. Berkshire Hathaway held 12.9% of the bank’s outstanding shares.
Buffett acquired 700 million of the 1 billion Bank of America shares Berkshire Hathaway now receives in warrants due in 2022 after he invested $5 billion in the bank’s preferred stock in 2011.
3. Chevron
Buffett dramatically increased Berkshire Hathaway’s stake in Chevron to $30 billion by the end of 2022, making the integrated oil company his company’s third-largest holding. Chevron’s shares account for 9.7% of Berkshire Hathaway’s equity securities portfolio, while Berkshire’s holdings account for 8.5% of Chevron’s outstanding shares.
When asked about Chevron’s role in climate change, Buffett said at Berkshire Hathaway’s 2021 shareholders meeting, “Chevron is not a bad company in the least and I have no regrets about owning Chevron.”
4. Coca Cola
Buffett consumes five 12-ounce servings of Coke per day, and once said he is “one quarter Coca-Cola”, based on the drink’s portion of his caloric intake.
Berkshire Hathaway operates with a $25.4 billion Coca-Cola stake, representing an allocation of 8.2% of its stock portfolio. This is 9.2% of Coca-Cola’s outstanding stock.
After Buffett began accumulating positions in 1988, he said he planned to hold them “for the long run” in the next letter to shareholders. Buffett wrote, “Indeed, when we are part owners of excellent businesses with excellent management, our favorite holding period is forever.”
5. American Express
Berkshire Hathaway’s $22.4 billion stake in financial services provider American Express would account for 7.2% of its portfolio by the end of 2022 and 19.97% of American Express shares by March 2022.
The stake dates back to 1994 when Buffett acquired AmEx stock in exchange for warrants from a $300 million preferred stock investment, which returned 64% over three years. Berkshire Hathaway has increased its American Express stake significantly over the past decade.
Buffett, who turns 92 on August 30, 2022, began his career in the early 1960s. As he aged, many investors and analysts became concerned about the absence of a formal succession plan at Berkshire Hathaway. At the company’s 2021 shareholders’ meeting, Buffett said he expected to be succeeded as CEO by Greg Abel, head of the company’s Berkshire Energy Holdings power and natural gas distribution subsidiary.
What are the Top 10 Stocks of Berkshire Hathaway?
Warren Buffett runs the Berkshire Hathaway Holding Company, which is a major shareholder in many large public companies. After the top five listed above, Berkshire’s next largest public company investments include 6. The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC), 7. Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY), 8. Moody’s Corp. (MCO), 9. Activision Blizzard Inc. . ( ATVI), and 10. HP Inc. (HPQ).
In addition to its holdings in publicly listed companies, Berkshire Hathaway owns several subsidiaries, including GEICO Insurance, BNSF Railway, Duracell, and International Dairy Queen Inc.
Which railroad does Warren Buffett own?
BNSF Railway (formerly Burlington Northern Santa Fe) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.
Which insurance companies does Warren Buffett own?
Berkshire GEICO, Cypress Insurance, General Re, Berkshire Hathaway Re, National Fire & Marine Insurance Co., and National Indemnity Co. Owns several insurance companies including.
What is the origin of the name Berkshire Hathaway?
The name Berkshire Hathaway originated in the 1955 merger of Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates of Adams, Massachusetts, and Hathaway Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Buffett began accumulating Berkshire Hathaway shares in 1962 and bought the company outright in 1964.
He had agreed to sell his stock to management, only to find that the tender offer price was lower than what he had promised. “It drove me nuts,” Buffett recalled. He bought the first insurance business for Berkshire Hathaway in 1967 and closed the company’s last textile mill in 1985.
Bottom-line
As investors go, Warren Buffett is the cream of the crop. His investment model is simple: Buy blue-chip stocks at reasonable valuations (dividends never hurt anybody) and hold them for the long term. He also likes companies with strong management teams and solid balance sheets.
He relies on a trusted team of advisors, most importantly Charlie Munger, his partner since Berkshire Hathaway’s early days as an investment vehicle, to help him make his investment decisions.