Back in August, when discussing Buffett’s ongoing liquidation of his Bank of America stake, we said that “Berkshire’s rising cash stockpiles merely reflect the firm’s inability to find deals in today’s overvalued and weak economic environment”, little did we know just how accurate that would be, because just one day later we and the rest of the market were stunned to learn that far from only dumping Bank of America, the 94-year-old Omaha billionaire had been busy quietly liquidating his most iconic holding in an unprecedented selling spree that sent Berkshire’s cash pile soaring by a record $88 billion to an all time high $277 billion at the end of Q2.
That was just the beginning, however, and this morning we subsequently learned that through the end of Q3, Berkshire’s unprecedented cash build continued, and the world’s largest conglomerate added another $48 billion to its cash – through both “harvesting” (i.e., selling of existing holdings) and cash from operations, taking it to a record $325.2 billion, or nearly a quarter trillion in cash. As shown for context in the chart below, Berkshire has nearly doubled its cash holdings from $168 billion at the start of the year to a staggering $325 billion 9 months later, up 94%!
The bulk of the new cash came from sales: in the third quarter, Berkshire sold a net $34.6 billion worth of stock, following the record $75.5 billion in Q2 liquidations, the bulk of which we now know came from Buffett’s sale of half his Apple shares. In other words, the third quarter was the 8th consecutive quarter in which Berkshire has been a net seller of stocks.
And the selling continued: while there was no 13F filed yet to go with the Berkshire’s 10Q, the company provided a snapshot of its top holdings, revealing that as of Sept 30 it held only $69.9 billion in Apple stock, down a quarter from the $84.2 billion as of June 30, down 62% from $135.4 billion as of March 31 and down 70% from the $174.3 billion as of Dec 31, 2023. This translates into just 300 million shares of AAPL held as of Sept 30, less than a third of what Berkshire owned at the end of 2023, and 30% of Buffett’s peak AAPL holdings of 1 billion shares as of 2018.
Buffett said in May that Apple would likely remain Berkshire’s top holding, indicating that tax issues had motivated the sale. “I don’t mind at all, under current conditions, building the cash position,” he said at the annual shareholder meeting. It was unclear if BRK shareholders understood that to mean a sale of 70% (and rising) of the AAPL holdings. […]
— Read More: www.zerohedge.com
It’s becoming increasingly clear that fiat currencies across the globe, including the U.S. Dollar, are under attack. Paper money is losing its value, translating into insane inflation and less value in our life’s savings.
Genesis Gold Group believes physical precious metals are an amazing option for those seeking to move their wealth or retirement to higher ground. Whether Central Bank Digital Currencies replace current fiat currencies or not, precious metals are poised to retain or even increase in value. This is why central banks and mega-asset managers like BlackRock are moving much of their holdings to precious metals.
As a Christian company, Genesis Gold Group has maintained a perfect 5 out of 5 rating with the Better Business Bureau. Their faith-driven values allow them to help Americans protect their life’s savings without the gimmicks used by most precious metals companies. Reach out to them today to see how they can streamline the rollover or transfer of your current and previous retirement accounts.
The Best Thing for America Would Be a Donald Trump Blowout
by The Federalist
If Democrats had their way, Donald Trump wouldn’t be anywhere near the presidency again. So wrote MSNBC’s Hayes Brown on the eve of the 2024 election’s final day. But Trump is near the presidency — perhaps by decisive margins — and Democrats are apoplectic. The “biggest contributor to the unease…
If These Two States Go to Trump Early, We Can Have Results on Election Night [VIDEO]
by Rumble Video
Two blue states, Virginia and New Hampshire, are in play during the presidential election based on the most recent polling data. If Donald Trump can achieve victory in both of these states early, it’s possible that we can get election results on Election Day. Otherwise, it could be weeks…
Most Accurate Pollster From 2020 Drops Final Numbers
by JD Rucker
Atlas Intel, which was hands down the most accurate public poll during the 2020 election, just dropped its final poll of the season. It points to landslide victory for Donald Trump. If Kamala Harris is able to win Minnesota and Virginia, two blue states that are in jeopardy of being…
Vivek Ramaswamy’s ‘Anti-Woke’ Financial Firm Moving To Dallas
by Dallas Express
Strive Enterprises, co-founded by former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, is slated to move its headquarters to Dallas. The wealth management firm, launched in 2022, is known for its “non-woke” and anti-ESG exchange-traded funds (EFTs). ESG, which refers to environmental, social, and governance policies, is incorporated into the investment mandates…
Regardless of who wins the election, economists are pointing to physical gold and silver as hedges against economic turbulence ahead. Reach out to our sponsors at Genesis Gold Group, a faith-driven precious metals company, to learn how you can rollover or transfer your retirement accounts into a Genesis Gold IRA.
Fed Set to Shift to Moderate Interest Rate Cuts, but the Path to Lower Rates Remains Uncertain
by The Epoch Times
The Federal Reserve’s policy-making arm, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), will likely shift from the aggressive interest rate cut during its September meeting to a moderate cut in its November meeting, to be held on Nov. 6 and Nov. 7. However, the path to lower interest rates remains to…
10 Times as Many Illegal Immigrants Came to US as Jobs Were Created Under Biden-Harris Admin in October
by The Post Millennial
The Biden-Harris administration allowed for 10 times the number of illegal immigrants into the US in October as jobs created by the private sector during the same time. This comes as border and economy have two of the top main issues for voters in the election. While businesses only created…
It Was the Night Before the Election, and Everyone Was Freaking Out
by Michael Snyder
(End of the American Dream)—I have never seen so much doubt, worry, anxiety, fear and panic as we approach a presidential election. All over the country, people are freaking out right now. Democrats are freaking out because the early voting numbers are so dramatically different from 2020. Republicans are freaking…
Losing Power? The Elites and the Leftist Mob Would Rather Burn It All to the Ground
by Brandon Smith
(Alt-Market)—It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a significant positive evolution within American society. In the early days of the Ron Paul movement I remember the hopeful groundswell of support for a new conservative epoch that adopted a little Libertarianism and a recognition that most “conspiracy theories” are actually…
“Not Patterns That You’ve Seen”: CNBC Guest Says Many Trump Voters Were Democrats “20 Years Ago”
by Harold Hutchison, Daily Caller News Foundation
(DCNF)—A former Trump administration official told CNBC host Joe Kernen Monday that a lot of voters who backed former President Donald Trump were Democrats during the 2004 election. Trump has gained support among both black and Hispanic voters, largely due to the economy and immigration, before President Joe Biden announced…
The New Kennedy-Nixon Moment: Why Politicians Must Master Podcasts to Win
by Daily Signal
(The Daily Signal)—Jeff Bezos is right. Americans do not trust the news media, but he misunderstands why. Americans are tired of talking heads and the opinions of editorialists masquerading as journalists. But this should not be confused with declining interest in news or politics; viewers are simply moving to channels…
‘All Government’: JD Vance Spotlights the ‘Kamala Harris Economy in a Nutshell’
by Daily Wire
Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), a venture capitalist-turned-politician who is now the running mate of former President Donald Trump, argued this weekend that the U.S. economy under their rival in the 2024 White House race, Vice President Kamala Harris, is defined by a growing number of government jobs while the private…
Final Reminder of the Three Issues Driving This Election
by JD Rucker
(Substack)—In case you hadn’t noticed, tensions are high. Americans are at each other’s throats — sometimes literally — as we approach the finale of the most insane election cycle in history. The sitting President ended his bid for a second term. His opponent was charged with dozens of made up…
If Kamala Wins, Prepare for Climate Change Authoritarianism and the Destruction of America’s Economy
by Ethan Huff, Natural News
(Natural News)—When it comes to “green” energy policies, California is often looked at as the model and example for other states. Did you know, though, that California ranks barely above the world average for so-called “fossil fuel” usage, even as it sits on large reserves full of crude oil and natural…
