In the latest filing for Buffett’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway,
Buffett has been drastically reducing his exposure to stocks that depend on
consumer purchasing habits. Berkshire sold roughly 19 million shares of
Johnson & Johnson, and reduced his overall stake in “consumer product
stocks” by 21%. Berkshire Hathaway also sold its entire stake in California
-based computer parts supplier Intel.
billionaire George Soros recently sold nearly all of his bank stocks,
including shares of JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs
billionaire John Paulson, who made a fortune betting on the subprime
mortgage meltdown, is clearing out of U.S. stocks too. During the second
quarter of the year, Paulson’s hedge fund, Paulson & Co., dumped 14 million
shares of JPMorgan Chase. The fund also dumped its entire position in
discount retailer Family Dollar and consumer-goods maker Sara Lee.