Legendary investor Warren Buffett, fondly referred to as the "Oracle of Omaha," is the largest shareholder and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. In 1999, he was named the top money manager of the twentieth century in a survey by the Carson Group, and he is currently ranked by Forbes as one of the richest people in the world with an estimated net worth of approximately $37 billion.
Every quarter, investors anxiously await the release of Berkshire's 13-F, a regulatory filing that shows how he adjusted his portfolio. "For the most part, the financier opted to focus his attention on the large, stable companies that represent core Berkshire Hathaway positions," writes Don Dion at TheStreet.com, discussing the Oracle's latest trades.
"For instance, the most notable tweak documented in this quarter's filing was a big increase to his Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) position. In the previous three-month period, Buffett's empire upped its stake in the health-care titan by more than 70%. This dramatic increase marks a sharp reversal from recent years, during which Berkshire's JNJ position was slashed, allowing Buffett to free up cash in order to fund other attractive investment opportunities."
Here is a summary of Buffett's other holdings. All data sourced from Whale Wisdom.
Warren Buffett's Portfolio: Increased Positions
- Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): Current owns 41,319,563 shares, vs. 23,891,448 at the end of March
- Nalco Holding (NYSE: NLC): Current owns 9,150,000 shares, vs. 9,000,000 at the end of March
- Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM): Current owns 8,000,000 shares, vs. 7,794,800 at the end of March
- Fiserv (Nasdaq: FISV): Started a new position, currently holds 4,400,000 shares
- Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY): Current owns 4,063,675 shares, vs. 3,903,933 at the end of March
- Becton Dickinson (NYSE: BDX): Current owns 1,889,889 shares, vs. 1,744,128 at the end of March
Interactive Chart: Press "Play" to compare performance and analyst opinion on Buffett's increased positions ...
Warren Buffett's Portfolio: Top 9 Unchanged Positions (Based on Current Market Value)
- Coca-Cola (KO): Holdings valued at $10,023,999,786 (200,000,000 shares)
- Wells Fargo (WFC): Holdings valued at $8,194,262,778 (320,088,385 shares)
- American Express (AXP): Holdings valued at $6,018,944,906 (151610700 shares)
- Wal-Mart (WMT): Holdings valued at $1,876,515,404 (39,037,142 shares)
- Wesco Financial (WSC): Holdings valued at $1,843,237,788 (5,703,087 shares)
- U.S. Bancorp (USB): Holdings valued at $1,543,031,197 (69,039,426 shares)
- Washington Post (WPO): Holdings valued at $709,212,996 (1,727,765 shares)
- Moody's (MCO): Holdings valued at $613,214,812 (30,783,876 shares)
- Nike (NKE): Holdings valued at $516,149,573 (7,641,000 shares)
Interactive Chart: To analyze Buffett's unchanged holdings, press "Play" to compare dividend yields and market caps ...
Warren Buffett's Portfolio: Reduced Positions
- ConocoPhillips (COP): Currently owns 29,109,637 shares, vs. 34,179,249 shares held at the end of March
- Kraft Foods (KFT): Currently owns 105,214,584 shares, vs. 106,734,745 shares held at the end of March
- Procter & Gamble (PG): Currently owns 78,071,036 shares, vs. 79,096,784 shares held at the end of March
- M&T Bank (MTB): Currently owns 5,363,821 shares, vs. 5,563,281 shares held at the end of March
Interactive Chart: Compare the performance of ConocoPhillips, Kraft Foods and Procter and Gamble over the last three years ...
Kapitall's Eben Esterhuizen, CFA, does not own shares of any companies mentioned.
