Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor, and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., has recently made a number of changes to his company’s stock portfolio. While the investment community closely monitors Buffett’s moves due to his successful track record, the filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday reveal that not all of the investments were made by Buffett.
One of the most notable changes to the portfolio was the addition of nearly 21 million shares of Apple, which Buffett has called one of the four giants that drive Berkshire’s results. This brings the company’s total number of Apple shares to 915.6 million at the end of 2022. Meanwhile, the company reduced its holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor, US Bancorp, and Bank of New York Mellon.
Berkshire’s investment in Taiwan Semiconductor, which it had only recently acquired, was cut down to 8.3 million shares, a drastic reduction from the previous quarter’s 60 million-share stake. The investment in US Bancorp was also reduced significantly from 52.5 million shares to just 6.7 million by the end of the year.
Berkshire also added to its smaller investments, acquiring more than 1.2 million shares in Louisiana Pacific to give it control of nearly 10% of the building product manufacturer. However, it continued to trim its investment in Activision Blizzard, reducing its holdings to 52.7 million shares. Buffett has said that he bought that stock as a way to bet that Microsoft’s acquisition of the video game maker will ultimately go through.
It’s worth noting that one of the most significant changes in Berkshire’s portfolio was not reflected in the SEC filings. The company’s investment in Chinese electric car maker BYD, which is held on the Hong Kong stock exchange, saw a sell-off of 95 million of the 225 million shares it bought back in 2008 since August.
The company’s investment moves demonstrate Buffett’s continued interest in tech and energy while reducing his exposure to banking stocks.
