Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, stopped selling Apple shares in the fourth quarter of last year and continued to reduce its holdings in bank stocks, including Bank of America (BofA).
According to the stock holding status report (Form 13F) submitted by Berkshire to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the 14th (local time), Berkshire held 300 million shares of Apple at the end of the fourth quarter, indicating no change in equity during the fourth quarter. The value of the Apple equity was approximately $75.1 billion (about 108 trillion won) as of the end of last year.
Berkshire attracted industry attention as it continuously reduced its Apple equity last year. However, even after a large-scale equity sale, it accounted for 28% of the total value of publicly listed stock assets held by Berkshire, maintaining the largest investment proportion in individual stocks.
The world's largest exchange-traded fund (ETF), "SPDR S&P 500" (ticker SPY), and the second-largest product, "Vanguard S&P 500" (VOO), reportedly sold all their shares (43,000 shares and 39,400 shares, respectively). SPY and VOO are funds that track the fluctuations of the S&P 500, the representative stock index of the U.S.
The selling pressure on Bank of America stock continued into the fourth quarter of last year. Berkshire disclosed that it sold 117.5 million shares of Bank of America in the fourth quarter, lowering its equity stake to 8.9%. The value of the remaining equity was $31.9 billion (46 trillion won) as of the end of last year. Berkshire also sold 40.6 million shares of Citigroup in the fourth quarter.
In contrast, during the fourth quarter of last year, Berkshire increased its equity in broadcasting service provider Sirius XM and energy company Occidental Petroleum. It was revealed that it newly acquired 5,624,324 shares of Constellation Brands, known for its Corona beer.