Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway takes another 75m slice of Apple

Berkshire Hathaway bought 75 million additional Apple shares in the first three months of the year, Warren Buffett told CNBC on Thursday, aggressively ramping up its bets on the iPhone maker.

Mr Buffett’s Apple commitment over the past two years has surprised many, given his historical aversion to companies associated with the technology sector.

Berkshire’s initial investment in Apple was small, suggesting it was made by one of the CEO’s investment deputies, but with the latest stake purchase, it has grown to a solid 240.3 million shares worth $42.5 billion.

“If you look at Apple, I think it earns almost twice as much as the second most profitable company in the United States,” CNBC quoted Mr Buffett as saying.

_____________

Read more

Hold the iPhone – Amazon primed to be larger than Apple

What to buy when the stock market crashes

Ivan Fallon: Warren Buffett gets Apple right and Unilever wrong

_____________

The billionaire investor recently sold out of an unsuccessful investment in International Business Machines, at the same time he was buying Apple.

Berkshire said in February that its Apple stake grew by about 23 per cent since the end of September to roughly 165.3 million shares.

Mr Buffett has praised Apple chief executive Tim Cook and suggested he views Apple more as a consumer company, despite its Silicon Valley pedigree.

However, there may also be another reason for the investment: Berkshire’s cash position.

Berkshire has gone more than two years since a major acquisition, and Mr Buffett said in his annual letter that he wants one or more “huge” non-insurance acquisitions to help him reduce Berkshire’s $116 billion in cash and equivalents.

Buying Apple accomplishes that, even though Mr Buffett would rather buy whole companies than their stocks.

Berkshire typically discloses its largest common stock holdings and percentage stakes in its quarterly and annual reports. The report for the first quarter is scheduled for release on Saturday morning, just before Berkshire’s annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.

Apple reported $61.1 billion in revenue for the March quarter, up from $52.9 billion last year, and promised $100 billion in additional stock buyback.

Berkshire Hathaway and Apple were not available for comment outside regular business hours.

Up to Thursday’s close, Apple stock had risen more than 5 per cent since Berkshire disclosed on February 14 that it had raised its stake in the Cupertino, California-based company.