Anyone who follows Warren Buffett probably knows that Apple is one of his favorite stocks. Apple ranks, by far, as the biggest holding in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio.
But as much as Buffett likes Apple, Berkshire Hathaway has bigger stakes in other businesses as a percentage of their outstanding shares. Buffett's conglomerate owns over 25% of these four companies.
1. DaVita
Berkshire's stake in DaVita (DVA +1.01%) tops 41%. Its nearly 36.1 million shares of the dialysis services provider are currently worth close to $5 billion.
Buffett first initiated a position in DaVita in the fourth quarter of 2011. He added to Berkshire's shares of DaVita regularly over the next three years. Although the legendary investor trimmed this position in 2020, DaVita remains the 13th largest holding for Berkshire.
NYSE: DVA
Key Data Points
The stock has been a solid winner for Buffett through the years. DaVita's shares have jumped nearly 270% since the end of 2011 and are up around 80% over the past 12 months.
2. Liberty SiriusXM
Berkshire owns only a small position in Sirius XM -- at least, directly. However, it is indirectly much more heavily invested in the satellite radio operator. Berkshire has a 29.5% stake in Liberty SiriusXM Series A (LSXMA +0.00%) and a 25.9% stake in Liberty SiriusXM Series C (LSXMK +0.00%).
NASDAQ: LSXMA
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Both of these stocks are tracking stocks for Liberty Media's investment in Sirius XM. The Series "A" stock gives Berkshire one vote per share. However, the Series "B" stock gives the conglomerate 10 votes per share.
3. Occidental Petroleum
Buffett has become a big fan of Occidental Petroleum (OXY +0.15%) in recent years. After briefly holding a position in the oil and gas producer in 2019 and 2020, he began aggressively buying shares of Oxy in the first quarter of 2022.
NYSE: OXY
Key Data Points
Berkshire now owns 28.2% of Occidental. The stock ranks as the sixth-largest holding in Buffett's portfolio with a value of around $15.8 billion. In August 2022, Berkshire gained regulatory approval to increase its stake in Occidental to as much as 50%.
4. Kraft Heinz
Berkshire owns 26.7% of Kraft Heinz (KHC 2.77%). If you look on the holding company's website, you'll even find Kraft Heinz listed among its subsidiaries.
In 2013, Berkshire and 3G Capital acquired Heinz. Two years later, the partners spearheaded a merger of Heinz with Kraft Foods. Berkshire walked away from the transaction as one of the largest shareholders of the newly formed Kraft Heinz.
The big merger hasn't paid off for Buffett, however. Since the combined Kraft Heinz was formed, its shares have fallen more than 20%.
The best of the bunch
Which of these Buffett stocks is the best of the bunch? I think the hands-down winner is Occidental Petroleum.
Despite the increasing adoption of renewable energy sources, the demand for oil and gas will almost certainly continue to climb in the coming years. Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub even predicts an oil supply shortage by late 2025. If she's right, Occidental stock should take off.
There's another reason Buffett likes Oxy. The company is investing heavily in direct air capture, a technology that could suck carbon dioxide out of the air. While it's too soon to know if direct air capture will fulfill its potential, Occidental could be a key player in a market that some predict will reach $4 trillion by 2050.
