One of the most well known investors is Warren Buffett who has run the company Berkshire Hathaway since 1965 and is one of the wealthiest person on earth. Every year in Omaha, Nebraska the company holds an AGM and unlike most AGMs. the Warren and Charlie Munger take questions for 5 hours. In many AGMs, the question and answer session is 20 minutes or less.

In an article by Jonathan Stempel, Carolina Mandl, and John McCrank of Reuters, Mr. Buffett discused a wide variety of items including the company’s stock holdings.

Berkshire owns $328 billion of stocks about 50% is a 5.6% holding in Apple worth $151 billion. Mr. Buffett said Apple is different than any other business we own, it just happens to be a better business. He also believes consumers are less likely to shed their $1,500 iPhone than a $35,000 second car.

The second biggest business is Occidental Petroleum which they own about 25% but has no plans to take control of the company.

Other holdings include Geico car insurance, BNSF railroad, Coca-Cola, Dairy Queen and Fruit of the Loom.

Recently Mr, Buffett went to Japan and has been adding large Japanese stocks to his portfolio.

Attendance at the AGM brings in capacity crowds at the Omaha Convention Center and Arena.

The company is sitting with $130 billion in cash equivalents.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, Mr. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is a testament to buy profitable companies that pay dividends and hold them for a long time. As the companies grow each year, although all companies have cycles of up and down, you can buy more when they are down, the fact that they are profitable means the share price tends to go over the long run. Sometimes there will be stock splits which means over the years you own even more which is a good thing. Mr. Buffett maintains a large cash position to take advantage of corporations asking for money to help them, which he loans or offers at high rates of interest taking convertible preferred shares. However if the market is down and you have cash to invest, there will be opportunities to buy a low prices. It is good to learn from master investors.

There are more question than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.