Industrials

Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway New Stock Holdings: Value, Dividends, Growth

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) and Warren Buffett released the conglomerate’s stock holdings as of March 31, 2013. This 13F filing with the SEC shows that the company’s total equity holdings came to $85.001 billion, up from $75.3 billion at the end of 2012. Portfolio managers Todd Combs and Ted Weschler are getting even more entrenched as far as their ability to add to positions. You will see that the Berkshire Hathaway stock portfolio is concentrated in companies paying dividends, as well as value stocks and growth stocks alike.

The new Buffett holdings are below.

American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) was roughly 151.6 million shares, SAME AS last quarter.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE: BK) was almost 19 million shares, which appears to be slightly lower but it had been raised before. What matters here is that it remains a substantial holding still.

Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. (NYSE: CBI) was a NEW POSITION at just over 6.5 million shares worth over $400 million.

Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) was more than 400 million shares due to the stock split of 2012, but this is virtually the SAME AS BEFORE.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is the SAME POSITION at 24.1 million shares, but this is lower than in prior quarters.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) was the SAME POSITION at 4,333,363 shares.

DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) was a LARGER POSITION and already more than a 10% stake and we recently saw that Berkshire Hathaway had entered into a standstill agreement not to buy more than 25% of the company after already having increased its stake recently. This was listed as 14.97 million shares as of March 31 versus 13.6 million shares before.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) was the SAME POSITION at roughly 4 million shares.

DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) was HIGHER YET AGAIN at 37.275 million shares versus almost 34 million shares and that was also higher than before.

Gannett Co. (NYSE: GCI) was the SAME POSITION of 1.74 million shares.

General Electric Corp. (NYSE: GE) is listed as the SAME POSITION at 588,900 shares, but this is still way down from prior reports.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) is the SAME POSITION at 25 million shares, but this was previously up from smaller positions.

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) is the SAME POSITION at 1.51 million shares.

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) was SLIGHTLY LARGER at 68.12 million shares, but this had been raised in prior quarters and Buffett himself has hinted at a larger position.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) was the SAME POSITION at only 327,100 shares, but this is way down from prior quarters and years earlier.

Kraft Foods Group Inc. (NASDAQ: KRFT) is SLIGHTLY LOWER at 1.602 million shares versus 1.668 million shares before. This remains a tiny fraction of the past holdings.

Lee Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: LEE) was officially the SAME POSITION of only 88,863 shares, but a recent deal may have given more leverage on the debt size.

Liberty Media Corp. (NASDAQ: LMCA) was the SAME POSITION of 5.62 million shares, but this had risen in prior quarters.

M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB) was the SAME POSITION at 5.38 million shares.

MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA) was the SAME POSITION at 405,000 shares.

Media General Inc. (NYSE: MEG) was the SAME POSITION of 4.64 million.

Mondelez International Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ) is a SMALLER POSITION at 7.05 million shares versus 12.84 million shares last quarter.

Moody’s Corp. (NYSE: MCO) was officially the SAME POSITION at 28.4 million as of March 31, but consider this a LOWER STAKE as reports have already registered newer share sales since that March 31 date.

National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NYSE: NOV) was a LARGER POSITION YET AGAIN at 7.484 million shares versus about 5.3 million shares at the end of 2012 and versus 4.18 million shares before that.

Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) was the SAME POSITION at 27.16 million shares after having been added in prior quarters after the Conoco spin-off.

Precision Castparts Corp. (NYSE: PCP) was the SAME POSITION at roughly 2 million shares, but this was higher before and still relatively new.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) was the SAME POSITION at 52.8 million shares but that had been lowered in 2012 from a prior peak of 96.3 million shares.

Read Also: The 7 Safest Banks in America for 2013

Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) was the SAME POSITION at 4.06 million shares.

Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA) was a NEW POSITION of 5.622 million, but this directly shows up under the Liberty holdings from above.

Torchmark Corp. (NYSE: TMK) was the SAME POSITION at more than 4.2 million shares.

US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) was SLIGHTLY LARGER at 61.458 million shares, but this may be a simple account adjustment as the last quarter was shown to be 61.2+ million shares. This is still down from prior quarters.

USG Corp. (NYSE: USG) was the SAME POSITION at 17.072 million shares.

United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) was the SAME POSITION at 59,400 shares, but this is way down from 2012 and hardly worth the effort.

VeriSign Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) is a LARGER POSITION at 8.174 million shares after having been a new position a quarter earlier at 3.685 million shares.

Verisk Analytics Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSK) was the SAME POSITION at 1,563,434 shares, but that is lower than prior quarters.

Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA) was the SAME POSITION of 7.6+ million shares, but that had been raised in prior quarters.

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) was the SAME POSITION of 1.555 million shares but this is still lower than in 2012.

WABCO Holdings Inc. (NYSE: WBC) is technically a HIGHER POSITION but it is still just over 4.076 million shares. The gain was literally just a few thousand shares.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) was a HIGHER STAKE at 49.247 million shares versus 47.5 million shares last quarter and 46.7 million shares in the prior quarter.

Washington Post (NYSE: WPO) was the SAME POSITION at over 1.72 million shares.

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) was HIGHER YET AGAIN at over 458 million shares versus 439.8 million as of the end of 2012 and it has steadily risen through time. There is a reason we kept this as the best of “The 7 Safest Banks in America” again.

Read Also: Beware of an Activist Investor Bubble

Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) was REMOVED ENTIRELY despite having been a new position of 5.95 million shares worth some $163.1 million as of the end of 2012.

General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD) was REMOVED ENTIRELY versus 3.877 million shares before.

While this was not listed as a formal holding of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B) in the SEC filing, we know that the merger of H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE: HNZ) is a part of the Berkshire Hathaway empire as a preferred holding. We also know that Warren Buffett himself personally owns shares of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) and he has recently been praising Jamie Dimon ahead of the CEO/Chairman split vote.

Jon C. Ogg

*

100 Million Americans Are Missing This Crucial Retirement Tool

The thought of burdening your family with a financial disaster is most Americans’ nightmare. However, recent studies show that over 100 million Americans still don’t have proper life insurance in the event they pass away.

Life insurance can bring peace of mind – ensuring your loved ones are safeguarded against unforeseen expenses and debts. With premiums often lower than expected and a variety of plans tailored to different life stages and health conditions, securing a policy is more accessible than ever.

A quick, no-obligation quote can provide valuable insight into what’s available and what might best suit your family’s needs. Life insurance is a simple step you can take today to help secure peace of mind for your loved ones tomorrow.

Click here to learn how to get a quote in just a few minutes.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.