Berkshire Hathaway Discloses New Investments

Berkshire Hathaway Discloses New Investments

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) recently disclosed stakes in ConocoPhillips (COP), General Electric (GE), and United Parcel Service (UPS).

The GE and UPS purchases were made during the first quarter of 2006. Berkshire acquired the first half of its $1 billion stake in ConocoPhillips during the fourth quarter of 2005 and the second half in the first quarter of this year.

The company reduced its stake in H&R; Block (HRB), Home Depot (HD), Iron Mountain (IRM), Lexmark (LXK), Sealed Air (SEE), and ServiceMaster (SVM).

During the first quarter of 2006, Berkshire increased its holdings in Wells Fargo (WFC) and American Standard (ASD).

Most reports in the financial news media will probably focus on the ConocoPhillips stake and engage in speculation over what it says about Buffett’s short-term view of the energy sector in general and the price of crude oil in particular. The purchase is also likely to lead to confusion, because Buffett had said he would like to put more of Berkshire’s cash to use in the energy sector. It’s unlikely he meant big oil.

GuruFocus always provides the best coverage of Berkshire’s buying and selling. You can read their reporting here.