Berkshire Hathaway Stock Portfolio: 10 Long-Term Stock Picks

In this article, we discuss the 10 long-term stocks in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio. You can skip our detailed analysis of Buffett’s investment philosophy and performance, and go directly to the Berkshire Hathaway Stock Portfolio: 5 Long-Term Stock Picks.

Billionaire, philanthropist and one of the most successful hedge fund managers in the world, Warren Buffett, founder and CEO of the Nebraska-based investment firm Berkshire Hathaway, is one of the few names in the world of investment management that requires little to no introduction. Presently worth over $103 billion, he is the sixth wealthiest individual on the planet, according to Forbes. Referred to as the ‘Sage of Omaha’, Buffett remains one of the most admired investors and hedge fund managers in corporate America.

A significant portion of his hedge fund’s success can be attributed to him following the Benjamin Graham school of value investing, which searches for stocks whose prices are unjustifiably low based on their intrinsic value. Berkshire Hathaway, as an investment management firm, managers over $293 billion under the legendary investor. According to the Q2 13F filings, Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio is diversified across 9 primary sectors, with the Consumer Discretionary sector dominating, making up 42.5% of the fund’s total portfolio value. A significant majority of the companies in the fund’s portfolio are considered large-cap stocks, with stocks scaling up to more than $10 billion in market cap making up 69% of the fund’s total holdings value.

Some of the top stocks in the portfolio of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of the second quarter of 2021 include Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC), The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) and Visa, Inc. (NYSE:V), among others.

Our Methodology

With this background in mind, let us now look towards the 10 long-term stock picks in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio. We made use of Berkshire Hathaway’s 13F portfolio for the second quarter for this analysis.

Why should we pay attention to Warren Buffett’s stock picks? Insider Monkey’s research was able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 86 percentage points since March 2017. Between March 2017 and July 2021, our monthly newsletter’s stock picks returned 186.1%, vs. 100.1% for the SPY. Our stock picks outperformed the market by 86 percentage points (see the details here). That’s why we believe hedge fund sentiment is an extremely useful indicator that investors should pay attention to. You can subscribe to our free newsletter on our homepage to receive our stories in your inbox.

Berkshire Hathaway Stock Portfolio: 10 Long-Term Stock Picks

10. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Stake Value: $3.7 billion

Percentage of Berkshire Hathaway’s 13F Portfolio: 1.26%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 52

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK), as a bank holding company, offers financial products and services to consumers in the United States and internationally, through its Investment and Wealth Management, Asset Management, and other segments. The company ranks tenth on our list of the 10 long-term stock picks of Berkshire Hathaway.

As of Q2 2021, Berkshire Hathaway owns over 72.3 million shares in The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK), valued at $3.7 billion. The company represents 1.26% of the hedge fund’s 13F portfolio. As of Q2 2021, 52 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey have positions in The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK), up from 49 in the previous quarter. The total value of these stakes is over $4.9 billion.

On September 15, Citi analyst Keith Horowitz raised his price target on The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK) to $60 from $56, and kept a Buy rating on the shares of the firm.

Just like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC), The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) and Visa, Inc. (NYSE:V), The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK) is a notable stock in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio.

9. Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Stake Value: $3.8 billion

Percentage of Berkshire Hathaway’s 13F Portfolio: 1.28%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 75

Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) is ranked ninth on our list of 10 long-term stock picks of Berkshire Hathaway. The Connecticut-based telecommunications and mass media company provides broadband communications and entertainment services.

At the end of the second quarter of 2021, 75 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $19 billion in Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR), up from 74 the preceding quarter worth $16 billion.

On October 1, TD Securities analyst Vince Valentini upgraded Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) to Buy from Hold with an unchanged price target of $870.

8. DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Stake Value: $4.3 billion

Percentage of Berkshire Hathaway’s 13F Portfolio: 1.48%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 39

DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA) is a Healthcare company that provides kidney dialysis services for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure or end stage renal disease (ESRD). The company ranks eighth on our list of the 10 long-term stock picks of Berkshire Hathaway.

By the end of the second quarter of 2021, Berkshire Hathaway holds over 36 million shares in DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA), worth $4.34 billion, and accounting for 1.48% of the hedge fund’s total portfolio value.

On September 9, Cowen analyst Gary Taylor initiated coverage of DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA) with a Market Perform rating, alongside a $145 price target.

Just like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC), The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) and Visa, Inc. (NYSE:V), DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA) is one of the top stocks in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio.

7. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Stake Value: $8.89 billion

Percentage of Berkshire Hathaway’s 13F Portfolio: 3.03%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 63

Based on the Q2 13F filings, Berkshire Hathaway held over 158.8 million shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), amounting to more than $8.89 billion in worth and representing 3.03% of the fund’s investment portfolio.

On September 20, Loop Capital analyst Stephan Bisson initiated coverage of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) with a Hold rating and $57 price on its shares.

6. Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Stake Value: $8.93

Percentage of Berkshire Hathaway’s 13F Portfolio: 3.05%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 44

Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) is a New York-based credit rating and risk management company that assigns evaluates bonds and stocks based on investment risk. Ranked sixth on our list of the 10 long-term stock picks of Berkshire Hathaway, Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) has a market capitalization of $69.11 billion.

As of Q2 2021, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway holds 24.6 million shares in Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO), worth $8.93 million, and accounting for 3.05% of the fund’s 13F portfolio.

On September 7, Oppenheimer analyst Owen Lau raised the price target on Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) to $418 from $406, and kept an Outperform rating on the shares of the company.

By the end of the second quarter of 2021, 44 hedge funds out of the 873 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) worth roughly $16 billion. This is compared to 55 hedge funds in the previous quarter with a total stake value of approximately $13.7 billion.

In the Q2 2021 investor letter of Qualivian Investment Partners, the fund mentioned Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO). Here is what the fund said:

Moody’s: Revenue, operating profit margins, and EPS all exceeded expectations, and annual guidance for these items (and for free cash flow) was raised. In MIS (Moody’s Investors Service) which houses the traditional ratings business, the outlook for debt issuance was raised for the remainder of the year, while MA (Moody’s Analytics) also came in ahead of expectations. The company leveraged strong revenue growth with strong operating profit margin improvement of 200 bps, with EPS coming in $0.22 ahead of consensus estimates. Management alluded to having interesting opportunities in their M&A pipeline, which we will have to assess when the time comes, but Moody’s management team has been very effective at allocating capital in the past toward value-creating bolt-on acquisitions, especially in their Moody’s Analytics business, a key growth driver for the company.”

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Disclosure. None. Berkshire Hathaway Stock Portfolio: 10 Long-Term Stock Picks is originally published on Insider Monkey.