Warren Buffett firm Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a public equity portfolio worth around $162 billion as of the end of the first quarter of 2017. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at Buffett’s top five stocks (in terms of market value), including Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC), Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) and American Express Company (NYSE:AXP).
5# American Express
At the end of the first quarter, Buffett held 151.61 million shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) with a reported value of $12 billion. The stake remained unchanged over the quarter. American Express offers charge and credit card products as well as travel-related services. It has a market cap of about $69 billion. Shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) are up 4.56% so far this year. During the last 12 months, the company’s share price has surged more than 18%. For the first quarter, American Express reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.34 on revenues of $7.9 billion, down 8% and 2% on a year-over-year basis, respectively. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) reported adding 2.6 million new card users globally.
4# Coca-Cola
Buffett held 400 million shares of The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) as of March 31. The holding was valued of $17 billion at the time. The stake remained unchanged over the quarter. Shares of the beverage company are up over 9% year-to-date. For the first quarter, The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) reported a 9% decline in revenues to $9.1 billion. The beverage giant’s net income was $1.2 billion, down from $1.5 billion a year ago. In an interview with Bloomberg, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said that the company’s sales are being affected by the slowdown in mall traffic as more people prefer the convenience of online shopping. So, fewer trips to the mall mean fewer people are buying cokes. Quincey’s top priority is making The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) a winner – rather than brick-and-mortar victim – of the digital age.
3# Apple
Buffett is betting big on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). The legendary investor bought 72 million more shares of the iPhone maker in the first quarter. As of March 31, the investor held 129.36 million AAPL shares worth about $18.6. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is said to release a hit iPhone model this year possibly dubbed the iPhone 8. This premium iPhone is rumored to come with a curved OLED display, a long-range wireless charging technology, and some cool features. Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) are up 32.63% so far this year. The stock has surged over 53% during the last 12 months.
2# Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC) is a favorite stock of Buffett. The investor held 479.70 million shares of the bank valued at $26.7 billion as of March 31. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. It has a market cap of around $260 billion. For the first quarter of 2017, Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC) reported net income of $5.5 billion, or $1.00 per share, compared with $5.5 billion, or $0.99 per share, for the same quarter of 2016. Shares of Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC) are down 4.9% so far this year. The share price of the bank has increased over 3% during the last 12 months.
1# Kraft Heinz
Buffett held 325.63 million shares of Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC) as of March 31. The stock was valued at about $29.6 at the end of the first quarter. Kraft Heinz is a food and beverage company engaged in the manufacturing of food and beverage products. The company has a market cap of more than $113 billion. For the first quarter of 2017, Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC) reported net sales of $6.4 billion, down 3.1% versus $6.6 billion a year ago. Net income was $893 million, versus $896 million in the same quarter of 2016. Shares of Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC) are up 6.50% so far this year. During the last 12 months, the company’s stock has surged 10.57%.
