Warren Buffett is considered one of the best long-term investors in the stock market. His company, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), is a holding company that maintains large positions in several well-known American companies. Most of his large publicly traded investments have above-average dividends and a history of growing them over time.
See a recent performance chart for Berkshire's b-class shares (BRK.B), which are included in the S&P 500:
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Many individual investors, and also most professional ones, like to keep track of what Warren Buffett holds, believing there is much to learn from following the investments made by such a highly acclaimed and successful investor. Warren Buffett and other large investors, such as hedge funds, must file quarterly reports that state their holdings. These 13F filings allow investors to identify any changes made, and to keep track of the individual performance of ore holdings.
Below are Warren Buffett's largest equity investments according to Berkshire Hathaway's most recent 13F quarterly filing. I have only included positions valued at over $2 billion. Listed in position-size order, these holdings are: Coca-Cola (KO), Wells Fargo (WFC), International Business Machines (IBM), American Express (AXP), Procter & Gamble (PG), Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), Kraft Foods (KFT) and US Bancorp (USB). I have provided their one-month, three-month and 2012-to-date equity performance rates, as well as the current annual dividend yield each equity provides.
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Many individuals may also appreciate that these companies are generally well-known. This familiarity makes it easier to access information on the businesses. Additionally, these companies tend to grow their dividends, which is something most income-oriented investors prefer.
Since the start of the year, the only listed equity to have declined is Procter & Gamble, which is down 6.33 percent over the last three months and, as coincidence would have it, year-to-date. See a recent performance chart for PG:
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So far within 2012, of the listed equities, Berkshire's financials (WFC, AXP and USB) are the best performers, with American Express being the single best performing company, appreciating by 18.32 percent. See a recent performance chart for AXP:
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Financials increased significantly during the first quarter of the year, dramatically outperforming a still impressive increase by the broader market. More recently, financials have come under pressure due to issues including European sovereign concerns, derivatives trading risk, as well as Chinese and other emerging market cooling. Though still down over the last month, Berkshire's more traditional and U.S. focused financials have declined far less than most other large financials due to their below average exposure to these risks.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative and should not be construed as personalized advice as it does not take into account your specific situation or objectives.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.
