24/7 Wall St. » JNJ

The Oldest Company Logos in America

Samuel Weigley, Alexander E. M. Hess and Paul Ausick — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:21:16 +0000

Few things are more tied to a company’s identity than its logo. Who isn’t familiar with Nike’s swoosh or McDonald’s golden arches? A good logo helps consumers recognize brands instantly and distinguishes brands from the competition.

For these reasons some corporate logos have remained — at their core — almost the same for more than a century. Originating in 1876, John Deere is currently the oldest corporate logo used still today by one of America’s largest companies. Several other logos 24/7 Wall St. identified have been around since the second half of the 19th century.

Click here to see the oldest company logos

The 10 oldest corporate logos still in use today mostly belong to household name companies. With the exception of Union Pacific, a railroad company, these companies all make successful products for the American consumer. At least partly the result of their logos, consumers have personal histories with products made by Coca-Cola, General Electric and Johnson & Johnson.

Dupont Logo, Then and Now

Continued success is almost certainly why these companies have kept the same logo for so long. The companies have had no reason to change their logos, other than minor changes. According to Interbrand, Coca-Cola’s brand was worth nearly $77 billion as of 2012, making it the most valuable brand in the world. General Electric was the sixth most valuable, worth more than $43 billion.

The origins of the logos are as different as the companies they represent. In 1896, Prudential began to use the “Rock of Gibraltar” to symbolize that the company’s financial products were as reliable as the rock itself. The image of Sherwin-Williams’ paint “Covering the Earth” reflected the rapid expansion of the brand.

Prudential Logo, Then and Now

Some of the logos had nothing to do with the company’s mission at all. DuPont’s simple oval logo, which included the founder’s name, was used to make stenciling the image on packages easy.

Although the logos all retained at least one core visual element, like Goodyear’s winged sandals or Coca-Cola’s white script on red background, parts were modified over time. The Union Pacific shield’s shape and color changed numerous times in the past 126 years. And while the deer in John Deere’s logo once jumped over a log, the log was removed in 1950.

All of the companies on this list are old, but they are not necessarily the oldest companies in the United States. Procter & Gamble and General Mills are among the oldest companies on the Fortune 500, but they do not have logos that made our list. Procter & Gamble in 1985 stopped using the logo it had used since the 1850s. The iconic cursive G in the General Mills logo was only introduced 50 years ago.

Based on a review of Fortune 500 companies, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 oldest corporate logos still in use today. In order to be considered, the company must have been in continual operation as an independent company since at least 1900. The logo had to be at least 100 years old and could not have meaningfully changed.

These are the oldest company logos in America.

Filed under: Special Report Tagged: CPB, DD, DE, GE, GT, JNJ, KO, PRU, SHW, UNP

Deutsche Bank Top Medical Device Stock Picks

Lee Jackson — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:30:21 +0000

In 2012, the S&P 500 Healthcare Equipment & Supply index was up 15.1%, while the S&P 500 was up 13.4%. However, it was in-line with the broader S&P 500 Healthcare index, which was up 15.2%. This year, the index is up 14.6% thus far, but it is underperforming the Healthcare index. The analysts at Deutsche Bank A.G. (NYSE: DB) have done a close analysis of the top names in the sector and have a short list of names to buy.

Even though they only have four stocks to buy, and one other top name to consider, the Deutsche Bank team is very bullish on their top names. With most reimbursement issues settled for at least the time being, investors may have an opportunity to buy the leaders at a discount.

Covidien PLC (NYSE: COV) has one of the best top line growth profiles within the large cap med tech universe, and together with operational and financial leverage, it should sustain double-digit EPS growth. Deutsche Bank believes that longer term, the pharmaceutical spin-off on June 28 will create even more shareholder value. Their target price for the stock is $74. The Thomson/First Call estimate is at $72.50. Shareholders receive a 1.6% dividend.

St. Jude Medical Inc. (NYSE: STJ) had a potential issue with Durata leads, the wire used to connect lifesaving defibrillators to the heart. Deutsche Bank and others believe there is no issue with the leads and a robust pipeline will lead to continued growth. The Deutsche Bank target price is $52, while the consensus is at $47. Investors are paid a 2.3% dividend.

Stryker Corp. (NYSE: SYK) is a stock to buy based on valuation that Deutsche Bank views as attractive. The analysts also believe that Strykers diversified business model should provide for steady and above-peer growth. The price target for the stock is $75, and the consensus target is $60. Shareholders are paid a 1.6% dividend.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is perhaps the most diversified stock of the group. The Deutsche Bank team believe that all three of its divisions should see steady-to-improving trends. Within Pharmaceuticals, the new products already have started to accelerate growth, and they expect additional pipeline milestones ahead. In Medical Device & Diagnostics, the integration of Synthes seemingly is going well, and to the extent utilization trends slightly improve, it should accelerate growth. Within Consumer, the analysts believe the worst is likely behind for the McNeil OTC franchises. The price target for this top name is $92. The consensus estimate is $90.50. Investors are paid a solid 3.1% dividend.

Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX) is a wildcard name at Deutsche Bank. The 2006 purchase of Guidant burdened the company with an onerous debt load. Though the stock is only rated Neutral, the analysts believe management is doing the right things by restructuring, refocusing and repositioning the company. Recent results have been positive also. Restoring the company to consistent top line growth is contingent on continued stability of the end markets and pipeline success, the latter of which there is still some uncertainty around magnitude and timing. Boston Scientific has been a rumored takeover candidate for years. If the stock price stays in the single digits, it may remain one. Deutsche Bank has a $9 price target, but the consensus is lower at $8.30.

For years the medical device industry was one of the top sectors on Wall Street. Innovation and an aging population presented investors with the perfect storm. Recently though, product failures, government regulation and reimbursement issues have muddied the water. This is no doubt one of the reasons Deutsche Bank is so selective.

Filed under: Healthcare (Business) Tagged: BSX, COV, DB, JNJ, STJ, SYK

UBS Top Dividend Growing Stocks to Buy for Income

Lee Jackson — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:30:20 +0000

Over the past month, interest rates have bounced off of their 2013 lows, with the U.S. 10-year yield quickly rising from 1.66% to more than 2.20%. This has been a negative for dividend-paying stocks as they became less attractive relative to bonds, and profit taking also played in. Given the increased uncertainty regarding Federal Reserve’s policy and the direction of rates, the equity strategists at UBS A.G. (NYSE: UBS) believe dividend strategies that focus on underlying growth fundamentals should outperform.

UBS has just released a list of stocks that have a dividend yield of at least 2.5%, have increased their payout ratio by more than 5% during the past year and have positive consensus earnings per share growth over the next 12-months. All the stocks on the list have Buy ratings at UBS.

Williams Companies Inc. (NYSE: WMB) is one of the leading energy infrastructure companies in North America. It owns interests in or operates 15,000 miles of interstate gas pipelines, 1,000 miles of natural gas liquids transportation pipelines, and more than 10,000 miles of oil and gas gathering pipelines. UBS has a $41 price target. The Thomson/First Call consensus estimate is also at $41. Investors are paid a solid 4.0% dividend.

Ensco PLC (NYSE: ESV) saw a big jump in its revenue in fiscal 2012 after completing a merger with Pride International in May 2011. In addition to strong sales growth last year, Ensco also recorded a rebound in its operating efficiency, with margins rising for the first time since 2008. The UBS target for the offshore-driller is $64, while the consensus is at $70. Investors are paid a 3.3% dividend.

Nucor Corp. (NYSE: NUE) is one of the few steel companies that has not struggled with overcapacity issues. The UBS target for the stock and the street consensus are both $52. Shareholders are paid a 3.3% dividend.

Johnson & Johnson‘s (NYSE: JNJ) pharmaceutical business generated $2.6 billion in sales outside the United States alone last year. UBS has a $97 target for this top name, while the consensus is at $90.50. Investors are paid a 3.1% dividend.

ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG) has an above-average rank, in the top 50% of the Wall Street coverage universe, which suggests it is among the top most “interesting” ideas that merit further research by investors. UBS has placed a $39 target on the stock. The consensus estimate is at $40. Shareholders are paid a 3.% dividend.

KLA-Tencor Corp. (NASDAQ: KLAC) is a top technology stock to buy with strong dividend growth. UBS has a $58 price target on the semiconductor equipment giant, while the consensus is at $60. Investors are paid a 2.8% dividend.

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is another quality large cap tech name to make the list. As demand for super-networks increase, Cisco looks to be a prime beneficiary of huge carrier build-outs. UBS has a $26 price target, which is the same as the consensus target. Investors receive a 2.8% dividend.

BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT) is one of the largest financial services holding companies in the United States, with $181 billion in assets and market capitalization of $22.0 billion, as of March 31, 2013. UBS has a $37 target, and the consensus is at $35. Shareholders are paid a 2.8% dividend.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has gone from hero to zero in the eyes of many on Wall Street. With a music streaming service and the iPhone 6 on the horizon, the company still has legs. UBS has a $500 target for the stock, but the consensus is higher at $535. Investors are paid a 2.8% dividend.

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) develops, manufactures and markets products for people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma and other chronic and acute medical conditions. The UBS target is $77, and the consensus for the stock is also at $77. Investors receive a 2.8% dividend.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) is expected to grow at close to 12% each year over the next five years, with the bulk of growth coming from emerging markets such as China and India. UBS has a $15 price target for the iconic automaker. The consensus target is higher at $16.50. Investors receive a 2.5% dividend.

Companies that are growing their dividends are growing their earnings. Companies that grow earnings usually see appreciation in the stock price. The UBS stocks to buy offer an investor a solid portfolio of diversified names. The key to the game is always total return, and the UBS stocks offer that possibility.

Filed under: Investing Tagged: AAPL, BAX, BBT, CAG, CSCO, ESV, F, JNJ, KLAC, NUE, UBS, WMB

Eleven Overvalued Warren Buffett Stocks to Sell from Berkshire Hathaway’s Portfolio

Jon C. Ogg — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:47:35 +0000

Stock market volatility has returned, and some stocks have sold off enough that they almost appear to be bargains to investors who missed the boat on the way up. As value investors start to look for ample dividend and defensive investments and other cyclical stocks, many will look to see what investment gurus are doing with their money. The stocks inside the Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) portfolios are often where many investors start to look for value, income and opportunity for the long haul.

24/7 Wall St. has decided to review the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B) portfolios to look for opportunities and pitfalls. While we already screened out the “cheapest” Warren Buffett stocks, the review of this guru’s stock portfolio brought up a stark realization. Many of Warren Buffett’s stocks are now either fully valued, according to Wall Street, or they have such a small implied upside that the risk is not worth the chase.

Warren Buffett and his team of portfolio managers are of course interested in value and growth, but they will tell you over and over that they will pay up for solid companies that do well in good times and bad. The 24/7 Wall St. screens focused on the current share prices versus the Thomson Reuters consensus price targets from Wall Street analysts to determine “cheap” or “expensive,” but we also added in our own color so that you might avoid some traps or not get tricked into looking at numbers alone. We included other valuation metrics and historical pricing as well.

Be advised about one thing when it comes to Mr. Buffett. He would tell you that he could not care less what a Wall Street analyst price target looks like, unless of course it is much higher than what his own numbers. Buffett also has the luxury of having held some of these stocks for long enough that a one-year price target might be irrelevant to him. Still, that does not mean that if you are guru-chasing you have the same luxuries as one of the greatest modern day investors.

Also Read: The Cheapest Buffett Stocks in Berkshire Hathaway’s Portfolio

These were broken down into two key groups. The first group includes the portfolio names where the analyst community believes that the upside is 5% or less. The market has lifted most ships in 2013 since the 2009 rally started, but chasing the last 5% of upside should be no better than a sucker’s game by any stretch of the imagination. The second group of is a handful of truly overvalued stocks, where the stock price already has gone above and beyond what the Wall Street analysts’ consensus price target valuation is.

First for the stocks with only 5% or less upside.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) is very close to all-time highs and has been treading water with a $48 billion or so market value since the earnings report. The current share price of $111.09 only comes with an implied upside of about 1.1% to the price target of $112.36. Its 52-week trading range is $87.25 to $115.77, and the dividend yield is low at only about 1.1%. If the team wants to remain bullish here, they might point out that the street-high price target is $126. Even then, 24 times this year’s expected earnings sounds rich even for a good growth story.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is a megacap stock at $237 billion in market cap. Its share price of $84.46 comes with only 5% upside to the consensus target of $88.78, and its 52-week range is $61.83 to $89.99. At least Johnson & Johnson comes with a 3.1% yield for new investors. This position is one that Buffett has been very profitable in, so he does not have to care about the targets. Even then, the team might point out that the street-high analyst target price is $97.

Filed under: Investing Tagged: AXP, BK, BRK-A, BRK-B, COST, GSK, JNJ, MA, MCO, TMK, V, VRSN, WFC, WPO

Closing Bell for Thursday on Wall Street: Markets Stall on Japan Losses

Paul Ausick — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:05:54 +0000

U.S. equity markets opened sharply lower this morning, taking a lead from Japan’s Nikkei, which fell more than 7% for the day. Japan’s government bond yields spiked until the Bank of Japan intervened. Japan-focused ETFs got clobbered today. Nearly missed in the flurry surrounding the Japanese debacle was the decline in China’s manufacturing PMI<>. Europe followed Japan’s lead as well, even though eurozone manufacturing PMI rose. The bad news is that the eurozone’s manufacturing PMI continues to contract. In the U.S., new claims for jobless benefits fell, while data on new home sales and house prices continued to improve. U.S. equities ended the day with a small loss after the dust settled.

The U.S. dollar index is trading down 0.73% today, now at 83.7360. The GSCI commodity index is down 0.8% at 625.96. WTI crude oil closed down fractionally, at $94.25 a barrel. Brent crude trades down 0.1% at $102.46 a barrel. Natural gas is up 1.7% today at about $4.26 per million BTUs following a relatively small addition to the nation’s inventories<>. Gold settled up 1.8% today at $1,391.80.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down nearly 13 points to 15,294.50 (-0.08%), the NASDAQ fell nearly 4 points (-0.11%) to 3,459.42, and the S&P 500 fell -0.29% or nearly 5 points to 1,650.53.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including:

Sanmina Corp. (NASDAQ: SANM) cut to ‘sell’ at Deutsche Bank;

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) started as ‘underperform’ at Credit Suisse;

Seagate Technology PLC (NASDAQ: STX) raised to ‘buy’ at Deutsche Bank;

VeriFone Systems Inc. (NYSE: PAY) raised to ‘buy’ at SunTrust; and

Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (NYSE: DO) raised to ‘neutral’ at Goldman Sachs.

Earnings reports since markets closed last night have resulted in some price changes for reporting companies as of the last half hour of trading today:

DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ: DRYS) is down 6.2% at $1.96;

L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LTD) is down 0.4% at $X51.25X;

PetSmart Inc. (NASDAQ: PETM) is up 1.9% at $70.35;

SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: SEAS) is down 1.3% at $37.24;

Workday Inc. (NYSE: WDAY) is up 0.9% at $66.34;

Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) is up 4% at $50.29;

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) is down 1.1% at $35.85;

Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL) is down 2.5% at $183.46; and

Stein Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT) is up 4.8% at $12.28, a new 52-week high.

Before markets open tomorrow morning we are scheduled to hear earnings from Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO), America’s Car-Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: CRMT), Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS), Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL), Pandora Media Inc. (NYSE: P), Ross Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST), Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM), Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ: ZUMZ), Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF), and Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL).

Some standouts among heavily traded stocks today include:

Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) is up 16.8% at $24.79 after posting a new 52-week high of $24.91 earlier today. The printer and computer maker posted better-than-expected earnings last night.

MannKind Corp. (NASDAQ: MNKD) is up 8.1% at $6.74 after posting a new 52-week high of $6.99 earlier today. The biopharmaceuticals firm continues to see shares rise following a report yesterday that the company is a likely takeover target.

Cirrus Logic Inc. (NASDAQ: CRUS) is down 19.8% at $17.70. The semiconductor maker lowered its outlook, this morning.

Stay tuned for Friday. We have noted the following event on the schedule (all times Eastern):

8:30 a.m. – Durable goods orders

Filed under: Investing Tagged: ANF, ARO, CRM, CRMT, CRUS, DLTR, DO, DRYS, FL, GME, GPS, HPQ, JNJ, LTD, MNKD, MRVL, P, PAY, PETM, RL, ROST, SANM, SEAS, SMRT, STX, WDAY, ZUMZ

Top Analyst Downgrades and Stocks to Sell: ARM, Devon and More

Jon C. Ogg — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:35:24 +0000

Investors frequently get to see the analyst upgrades and Buy ratings from Wall Street firms. What investors often do not get to see is when analyst downgrade stocks to sell or to avoid. 24/7 Wall St. reviews many fresh research calls each and every day to find great ideas from value stocks to growth stocks to dividend stocks, and we have broken out the negative analyst calls today. These are this Thursday’s top analyst downgrades and cautious research notes from Wall Street.

ARM Holdings PLC (NASDAQ: ARMH) was cut to Neutral from Outperform at BNP Paribas.

Blue Nile Inc. (NASDAQ: NILE) was cut to Sector Perform at RBC Capital Markets.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) was started as Neutral at Credit Suisse due to analyst departure.

Comerica Inc. (NYSE: CMA) was cut to Negative from an already cautious Neutral rating at Susquehanna.

Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN) was cut to Neutral from Overweight at J.P. Morgan.

Flextronics International Ltd. (NASDAQ: FLEX) was cut to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) was started as Underperform at Credit Suisse.

Patterson-UTI Inc. (NASDAQ: PTEN) was cut to Sell from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.

Prosperity Bancshares Inc. (NYSE: PB) was cut to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital Markets.

Realty Income Corp. (NYSE: O) was cut to Sell from an already cautious Neutral at Goldman Sachs.

ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) was cut to Underperform from an already cautious Neutral rating at Credit Suisse.

Sanmina Corp. (NASDAQ: SANM) was cut to Sell from Hold at Deutsche Bank.

Read also: Top Analyst Upgrades and Stocks to Buy

Filed under: Investing Tagged: ARMH, CMA, CMG, DVN, FLEX, JNJ, NILE, O, PB, PTEN, SANM, SOL

Eight Best Warren Buffett Stocks for High-Yield Dividends and Value Investors

Jon C. Ogg — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:21:42 +0000

On Wednesday night came the 13F filing from Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) showing the latest and greatest stock holdings of Warren Buffett and the investing team there. We noted that there was a blend of value stocks and growth stocks, along with dividends. 24/7 Wall St. wanted to see which of Warren Buffett’s stock picks had the highest dividend yields for you income-oriented investors.

To keep things even for U.S. investors, we screened out the ADRs held by Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B) even though one is mentioned at the end of the screen to keep them on the list. Of the dozens of stocks held by the conglomerate, these are the eight highest dividends in the Buffett portfolio. We have put the stocks in order of the highest yields first and added in color on each if applicable. As you will see, most of the Buffett top dividend yields still offer upside to their consensus price targets for value investors looking for growth.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) leads the list with a common stock dividend yield of 4.2%. The company has pledged to keep its dividend strong, and this puts it higher than other oil giants. This stock is now within about 1% of new 52-week highs and the $62.42 share price compares to an analyst consensus price target of about $63.98.

Gannett Co. Inc. (NYSE: GCI) has a surprising yield of 3.6% for its common stock holders. This remains a small holding of Warren Buffett but investors might be surprised that the newspaper and media stock has risen to the point that it is up almost 100% from its 52-week low. At $21.62 as of now, the stock trades right at the $21.61 consensus analyst price target, and the 52-week trading range is $12.17 to $22.21.

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) offers a 3.3% yield, partly because shares have pulled back since earnings. The earnings report was not stellar by any means, but we think GE shares were sold off too hard after earnings when you consider the state of the bull market. Shares are at $23.24, and GE’s 52-week high is $23.90. Analysts have a consensus target price of $25.33. GE is likely to have a dividend hike yet again later this year.

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) is a top bank and Buffett keeps buying more and more of this stock each and every quarter. The 3.2% common stock yield is rather impressive, and this remains at the top of the seven safest banks in America. This bank is challenging the highs from before the recession again, if you back out the dividend payments. At $39.30, its stock hit that multiyear high on May 15, and analysts have a consensus price target of $40.76.

Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) has lifted its dividend and is yielding 3.1% after a dividend hike in April. Buffett has trimmed the stake here over time, but activist investors have been on management’s back and pressing it to run the company better. If P&G keeps up its efforts, it could be worth even more. The market cap of $221 billion already makes it one of the largest public companies out there. With shares at $80.68, the consensus analyst target price is $82.78.

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a personal holding of Warren Buffett rather than Berkshire Hathaway. The bank pays a 3.1% dividend, despite not getting to be as aggressive on its capital plans. Jamie Dimon has been under fire here to split the CEO and chairman roles, but Buffett recently has praised Dimon as a great CEO who also deserves his chairman role. We would caution that one analyst showed that some $20 billion (10% of the share price) could come out of the stock if Dimon leaves the bank because there is a management replacement vacuum right now with no heir apparent. With shares at $51.09, the consensus analyst target is $56.21.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) recently raised its dividend. The drug and consumer products giant has been a habitual dividend-raising machine, and its product quality controls appear to be over. The 3.1% payout is impressive when you consider that this stock just hit an all-time high on May 15. Note that the consensus analyst price target of $86.50 is actually less than the current price of $87.64.

United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS) ranked as number eight with a dividend yield of 2.8%. This comes as the stock is challenging all-time highs, and the shipping giant has raised its dividend payment consistently. With shares at $88.60, analysts have a consensus price target of $93.09 on the stock.

GlaxoSmithKline PLC (NYSE: GSK) is the ADR of the group, and it was only included because it screens out as having such a high yield at 4.3%. That would have put it at the top of the list. As this is an ADR and subject to currency changes altering the payouts each time in dollars for ADR holders, we are only representing the Yahoo! screen for the nominal payout rather than adding color here.

Jon C. Ogg

*The full Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway portfolio can be seen here.

Filed under: Industrials Tagged: BRK-A, BRK-B, COP, GCI, GE, GSK, JNJ, JPM, PG, UPS, WFC

Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway New Stock Holdings: Value, Dividends, Growth

Jon C. Ogg — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:18:58 +0000

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) and Warren Buffett released the conglomerate’s stock holdings as of March 31, 2013. This 13F filing with the SEC shows that the company’s total equity holdings came to $85.001 billion, up from $75.3 billion at the end of 2012. Portfolio managers Todd Combs and Ted Weschler are getting even more entrenched as far as their ability to add to positions. You will see that the Berkshire Hathaway stock portfolio is concentrated in companies paying dividends, as well as value stocks and growth stocks alike.

The new Buffett holdings are below.

American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) was roughly 151.6 million shares, SAME AS last quarter.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE: BK) was almost 19 million shares, which appears to be slightly lower but it had been raised before. What matters here is that it remains a substantial holding still.

Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. (NYSE: CBI) was a NEW POSITION at just over 6.5 million shares worth over $400 million.

Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) was more than 400 million shares due to the stock split of 2012, but this is virtually the SAME AS BEFORE.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is the SAME POSITION at 24.1 million shares, but this is lower than in prior quarters.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) was the SAME POSITION at 4,333,363 shares.

DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) was a LARGER POSITION and already more than a 10% stake and we recently saw that Berkshire Hathaway had entered into a standstill agreement not to buy more than 25% of the company after already having increased its stake recently. This was listed as 14.97 million shares as of March 31 versus 13.6 million shares before.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) was the SAME POSITION at roughly 4 million shares.

DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) was HIGHER YET AGAIN at 37.275 million shares versus almost 34 million shares and that was also higher than before.

Gannett Co. (NYSE: GCI) was the SAME POSITION of 1.74 million shares.

General Electric Corp. (NYSE: GE) is listed as the SAME POSITION at 588,900 shares, but this is still way down from prior reports.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) is the SAME POSITION at 25 million shares, but this was previously up from smaller positions.

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) is the SAME POSITION at 1.51 million shares.

Filed under: Industrials Tagged: ADM, AXP, BK, BRK-A, BRK-B, CDCO, COP, COST, DE, DVA, GCI, GD, GE, GM, GSK, HNZ, IBM, JNJ, JPM, KFT, KO, LEE, LMCA, MA, MCO, MTB, NOV, PCP, PG, PSX, SNY, TMK, UPS, USB, USG, V, VIA, VRSK, WBC, WFC, WMT, WPO

The Top Seven Drugs with U.S. Quarterly Sales Over $1 Billion

Jon C. Ogg — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:45:00 +0000

The world of pharmaceuticals may have faced a patent cliff in recent years, but brand name drugs are still generating billions upon billions in annual sales in the United States alone. Some of these so-called blockbuster drugs are even generating more than $1 billion each and every quarter in the United States. These drugs treat depression, arthritis, acid reflux, high cholesterol, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and more. After tallying the top seven drugs alone, the U.S. sales are more than $9.1 billion per quarter.

A new list compiled by Drugs.com for the first quarter of 2013 shows that all but one of the seven drugs with $1 billion in quarterly sales saw total sales gains. Only three of the wider list of the top 20 drugs in quarterly sales posted negative sales trends. You will notice that many of the drugs had negative unit (prescriptions) trends again in the first quarter, but this was seen by and large a year ago as well.

We used data from Drugs.com, and this represents the top-selling drugs and medicines measured as U.S. national sales through both retail and hospital channels. This list is for the first quarter of 2013, and we have provided an image of the top drug sales on a chart below.

Abilify by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. led the list, at $1.526 billion in quarterly sales with a 3.24% gain. What is interesting here is that the number of units sold in the quarter was shown to be down by 5.89% to 2.477 million units sold, despite a continual rise in total sales. This will seem sad to be the list leader to many people, because Abilify is prescribed as an add-on drug treatment for adults with unresolved symptoms of depression after at least six weeks on an antidepressant. It is also meant to be taken in addition to an antidepressant rather than as a standalone drug.

Nexium by AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE: AZN) was second on the list, at $1.458 billion in quarterly sales with a 1.21% gain. After a small uptick in dollars sold, there was actually a small drop of 2.47% in units to 6.667 million units in the quarter. Nexium is known as the Purple Pill to treat heartburn caused by acid reflux.

Cymbalta by Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) came in third on the list, with $1.296 billion in quarterly sales after a 5.65% gain. Cymbalta units fell by 2.09% to 6.502 million units. Cymbalya is meant to treat major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), for the management of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia, and to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain due to chronic osteoarthritis pain and chronic low back pain.

Crestor by AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE: AZN) was fourth, with quarterly sales of $1.295 billion after a 1.59% gain. Unit sales were down by 2.93% to 4.106 million units in the first quarter. Crestor is prescribed (along with diet) to lower high cholesterol and to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries.

Advair Diskus by GlaxoSmithKline PLC (NYSE: GSK) came in at number five, at $1.277 billion in sales after a 6% rise. This was the first of the list with a per unit gain, with sales up 1.81% to 5.959 million units. Advair Diskus is for the treatment of asthma in patients four years and older. It is approved for adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis, emphysema or both.

Humira by Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) was ranked number six, with $1.217 billion in quarterly sales after a 0.91% gain. This drug’s unit sales were down by 5.68% to 631,000 units in the first quarter. Humira is prescribed for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis, moderate to severe Crohn’s disease, moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and in moderate to severe polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Enbrel by Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) was the last of the top seven drugs with sales of more than $1 billion, at $1.075 billion in quarterly revenue. This was also the sole drug on the list that had a decline in total dollar sales, with a 1.22% drop. Enbrel even led the top drugs here on this list with a 6.83% decline to 969,000 units sold. Enbrel is indicated for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis.

You probably noticed that there was a steady decline in unit sales in the first quarter. In most cases, this was also the case in the first quarter of 2012. It seems that the trend can be influenced by timing as well as by rotational use or by the public’s routine annual changes, more so than drug companies arbitrarily raising their prices each year to make up for lower unit sales.

We also have two runner-ups here that are close to $1 billion in quarterly sales. Remicade from Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), under the old Centocor and Janssen unit, posted a 3.58% sales gain to $969 million. Copaxone from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) posted a 1.98% sales gain to $926 million.

Read also: Viagra to Be Sold Online Soon

Filed under: Healthcare (Business) Tagged: ABT, AMGN, AZN, GSK, JNJ, LLY, TEVA

Berkshire Hathaway 2013 Annual Meeting Focus: Buffett Portfolio Changes

Jon C. Ogg — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:12:02 +0000

This weekend will mark yet another annual shareholder meeting for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A). Warren Buffett has even started to use Twitter to kick off what is often called The Woodstock of Wall Street. 24/7 Wall St. reports on the holdings and new portfolio changes each and every quarter, and we want to focus on the changes we think that Mr. Buffett is making to the portfolio.

The conglomerate is set to report earnings on Friday ahead of the annual meeting, but earnings do not really matter here. Mr. Buffett has said over and over that Berkshire Hathaway could make its earnings magically go up or down based upon purchase or sale transactions. He maintains over and over that the book value per share is what really matters here. As always, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B) and Warren Buffett’s latest full stock holdings can be tracked here.

These are the portfolio changes that 24/7 Wall St. believes Mr. Buffett and portfolio managers Todd Combs and Ted Weschler have made ahead of the annual meeting.

Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) was a new position at the last report and with Buffett giving more investing money of about $1 billion to Ted Weschler and Todd Coombs lately, our bet is that this position has been added to. ADM was a new position of 5.95 million shares worth some $163.1 million as of the end of 2012.

DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) was already more than a 10% stake and the firm keeps raising its stake. Frankly, we would not be shocked if this company was just acquired outright down the road by Berkshire Hathaway.

DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) has been added to and we see no reason that the latest stake of almost 34 million shares would not be added to yet again. The satellite TV provider is up 16% year to date, just hit a new high on Friday and is up by close to 4% since the end of the first quarter.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) has been added to before. It is possible that Buffett is adding to the stake here, although he would likely want to buy these at a discount in the government offering of “Government Motors” stock rather than in the open market.

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) is going to likely keep growing for Berkshire Hathaway as the company keeps buying back stock and recently raised its dividend. Warren Buffett told CNBC, “I won’t be a seller of IBM.” This was over 68 million shares last quarter for a 6.03% stake, and our bet is that Buffett added a bit to it after the stock went on sale after a poor earnings report.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is likely to be void entirely now in the Berkshire Hathaway stock portfolio. This was a mere 327,100 shares last time and has shrunk through time. The stake is so small that it was likely just not exited right before the end of the last quarter.

Moody’s Corp. (NYSE: MCO) has been confirmed that the stock holding is shrinking here. Berkshire Hathaway recently sold off about 1.7 million shares of . The position is very profitable for the conglomerate despite the woes of the past for the ratings agency. Buffett’s stake is still over 26 million shares.

Precision Castparts Corp. (NYSE: PCP) was a larger stake last quarter at roughly 2 million shares versus being a new position of 1.25 million shares in the prior quarter. If the new portfolio managers have new funds, they may have added to this even the stock has been range-bound so far in 2013.

Berkshire Hathaway keeps adding over and over to its position of Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) and we expect that to have continued in the first quarter. What is perhaps more interesting is that Bloomberg showed a video with Warren Buffett praising J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) and CEO Jamie Dimon. Buffett told Bloomberg that he is in full 100% support of Jamie Dimon and his dual role as CEo and Chairman.

Filed under: Banking & Finance Tagged: ADM, BRK-A, BRK-B, DTV, DVA, GM, IBM, JNJ, JPM, MCO, PCP, WFC