Berkshire Hathaway: What Is This Wall Street Giant?

Berkshire Hathaway stands as one of the world’s most influential conglomerates, with a market capitalization that has historically surpassed the $1 trillion milestone. This valuation reflects the company's vast reach across diverse industries and its rock-solid financial foundation.

You can think of Berkshire Hathaway as a self-managed fund or an ETF.

When you invest in a single share of Berkshire stock, you are effectively buying into a massive, pre-diversified portfolio. Because the company owns dozens of subsidiary businesses and holds major stakes in other public corporations, your investment provides indirect exposure to a wide array of global industry leaders. Below, we break down the primary companies within Berkshire’s portfolio to show exactly where your money is working.

At the helm of Berkshire Hathaway was for decades Warren Buffett, a legendary investor whose philosophy has shaped the company's unique approach to business. Buffett views Berkshire Hathaway not just as a company but as a fund that offers a diversified portfolio of high-quality stocks to its shareholders.

Speaking of diversification, Berkshire Hathaway's top holdings demonstrate its broad investment strategy. Leading the pack is Apple (AAPL), valued at about 61.96 billion USD. Following Apple are American Express (AXP) with nearly 56.1 billion USD, Bank of America (BAC) at 28.45 billion USD, Coca-Cola (KO) around 27.96 billion USD, and Chevron (CVX) close to 19.84 billion USD.

An intriguing connection exists between Microsoft (MSFT) founder Bill Gates and Berkshire Hathaway. The Gates Foundation Trust holds a significant position in Berkshire, with a stake valued at approximately $10 billion. While this represents a fraction of the conglomerate's total market value, it remains one of the foundation's largest holdings, highlighting a profound level of institutional trust and a long-standing financial alliance between Gates and Warren Buffett.