Berkshire Hathaway’s 2023 Stock Portfolio: Trade Like Warren Buffet

As of this writing, Warren Buffett is the fifth richest man in the world, with a net worth of $108 billion. You may know him as the Oracle of Omaha, as he wears the title of one of the most profitable investors. He began buying stocks at 11, consolidating his investments as he grew older.

Like you, we are curious to know what this successful investor places in his portfolio. Could we be missing something, or is he truly an oracle? Indeed, a man who has invested almost his entire life knows a thing or two that gives him an edge.

One crucial thing we discovered is the ever-changing nature of his stocks. The portfolio has changed over the years, with occasional phase-outs in some sectors. Also, his most significant investments this year differ from 20 years ago.

So, what stocks does he currently have in his portfolio? Remember that Warren Buffet’s investments come via Berkshire Hathaway, a holding company he took complete control of in 1965. With that in mind, here are the top ten stocks in the portfolio:

1. Bank of America (BAC) – 1.01 billion shares
2. Apple (AAPL) – 895.1 million shares
3. Coca-Cola (KO) – 400 million shares
4. Kraft Heinz (KHC) – 325.6 million shares
5. Occidental Petroleum (OXY) – 194.4 million shares
6. Chevron (CVX) – 162.9 million shares
7. American Express (AXP) – 151.6 million shares
8. Nu Holdings (NU) – 107.1 million shares
9. HP (HPQ) – 104.5 million shares
10. Paramount Global (PARA) – 93.6 million shares

Brief Stock Accumulation from 2022 to Date

We cannot cover every detail and every stock Berkshire Hathaway bought in 2022. Still, we will discuss the most significant ones. Here are some of the most important purchases and changes in the 2022 portfolio going into 2023.

• Apple (AAPL): Buffett took advantage of the volatile fourth quarter of 2022 to pick up some Apple stocks. He bought 333,856 shares, solidifying the stock’s second position in his portfolio. However, the purchase also made AAPL the most purchased stock in Berkshire’s Dow stock portfolio by market value.
• Louisiana Pacific (LPX): Buffett’s holding company added some LPX shares in 2022, buying into Louisiana Pacific. The latter is a manufacturer of engineering wood components and building materials. Furthermore, this was the first time the holding company had invested in Louisiana Pacific.
• Paramount Global (PARA): Berkshire Hathaway boosted its Paramount Global (PARA) shares in the fourth quarter of 2022. The move came after an initial purchase of a significant quantity in the first quarter of the same year. Paramount Global owns Paramount+, a streaming service that competes directly with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.
• Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM): 2022 was about more than just purchases and consolidation, as the holding company also let go of some shares. Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) is one of the companies for which Berkshire Hathaway slashed its stocks.

The slash came shortly after picking up shares in the Taiwan company. Nonetheless, TSM made the IBD list of the top 50 growth stocks.

• Occidental Petroleum (OXY) and Chevron (CVX): Berkshire Hathaway left its stocks in Occidental Petroleum untouched throughout the year. However, it offloaded a few of its Chevron holdings. Both moves came after it heavily increased its stocks in the two companies earlier in 2022.

Buffett’s Investment Strategy

Many people have studied Warren Buffett’s investment strategy. Who doesn’t want to replicate such a level of success in investments? Nonetheless, it takes patience to see things the way he does.

Buffett explained in one of his videos that 90% of people see stocks the wrong way. While many buy stocks and look at them after a week, he looks 10, 15, or 20 years ahead. So, gauging a company’s worth 10 to 20 years from now has been central to his strategy.

Final Thoughts

Berkshire Hathaway is one of the richest companies in the world, worth over $500 billion. It bought stocks in 2022 while reducing its holdings in some. Nevertheless, replicating its trading strategy takes time and patience.

2023 is still in its first quarter, and we are eager to see how the portfolio changes as the year progresses. Will there be any significant shakeups, or will things remain relatively stable? There is only one way to find out, and that is to pay close attention to the holding company.