The surprise winner so far in 2012 after the first month is USG Corporation (NYSE: USG). then there are stocks like Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC), Ingersoll-Rand plc (NYSE: IR), Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC), and American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP).  Yep, the other winners of these seven holdings are mostly tied to finance.

We have evaluated the performance to date (from FinViz.com) and added in some color on each.  We have also shown how the price compares to the 52-week highs or to the consensus price target as well, and included in some cases whether the position is substantial or not.

USG Corporation (NYSE: USG) is up 32.8% year-to-date and is actually Berkshire Hathaway’s top performing stock.  With so much interest in the bottoming out of housing at some point in 2012, it may not be that ridiculous even if the fundamentals have not changed all that much yet.  The concern here is that at $13.50 it now trades above the consensus $13.30 price target.  Buffett holds over 17 million USG shares.

Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) is up 32.4% year-to-date and the new large preferred position is back to where Warren Buffett doesn’t look foolish for dreaming up his investment in BofA while in the bath.  At $7.36 there is still plenty of upside to the $8.90 price target and this remains (and is expected to remain) well under book value.

Ingersoll-Rand plc (NYSE: IR) is up 15.5% year-to-date, not bad for what is usually a slower-moving company with a portfolio of industrial and commercial products.  At $35.18, it does not have much upside left to the consensus price target of $37.94 but it is still way off the 52-week high of $52.33.  Buffett’s position is way down from prior periods and is only 636,600 shares as of the last report.  This position just can’t move the entire Berkshire Hathaway Barometer too much.

Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO) is up 11.6% year-to-date.  The credit rating agency has been a controversial position that Buffett has lightened up on through time.  At $37.60, it is close to the consensus price target of $39.60 and under the 52-week high of $41.93.  Buffett did lighten up a bit on this position but still holds roughly 28.4 million shares.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) is up 9.5% year-to-date and is one of the news 2011 investments that Mr. Buffett hid.  It was also his first technology pick as far as pure hardware is concerned.  At $26.55, Intel is very close to its 52-week high of $27.00 and close to its consensus analyst price target of $27.17.

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) is up 8.9% year-to-date and is up the least of the big money-center banks.  It is also the only one of the money-center banks trading above book value because the restructuring regulatory climate over future earnings will create the least amount of change at Wells Fargo. Buffett keeps adding here and now holds over 361 million shares as one of his biggest positions ever.

American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) is up 7.7% year-to-date, which is lower than many financials. The recent earnings report showed improvement but perhaps a trend towards peaking of the improving credit metrics of AmEx customers.  Buffett’s position is roughly 151.6 million shares.

Berkshire Hathaway’s most recent holdings in entirety can be found here.

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JON C. OGG

M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE: MTB) is 5.38+ million shares, UP ONLY A TAD from the 5.363 million last quarter but this one had been cut in prior quarters.
Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA) was 405,000 shares valued at $128.45 million.  The position is the SAME AS last quarter but still almost double from the quarter before.
Moody’s Corp. (NYSE: MCO) was 28.4 million; SAME AS last quarter but way down from prior quarters and years.
Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) was 76.7 million shares and listed as THE SAME as last quarter but lower than the 96.3 million shares in prior quarters.
Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) was 4.06 million shares; SAME AS before.
Torchmark Corp. (NYSE: TMK) was more than 4.2 million, a LARGER POSITION than the 2.82 million shares last quarter.
US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) was roughly 69 million shares; SAME AS before.
USG Corp. (NYSE: USG) was 17.072 million shares; SAME AS before.
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) was 1.429 million shares; SAME AS before.
Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSK) was ALMOST DOUBLE in shares at 4.202 million worth $146.1 million versus the 2,101,125 shares a quarter before when it had been started as a new position.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is a NEW POSITION of 2.291 million shares worth $96.44 million.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) was just over 39 million shares; SAME AS before after having been raised in 2010.
Washington Post (NYSE: WPO) was over 1.72 million shares; SAME AS before and Buffett kept his word so far about holding the Washington Post shares despite stepping down from its board.
Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) over 361 million shares a HIGHER POSITION than the 352+ million last quarter.

PAGE ONE…BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘A to K’

As noted earlier… today’s holding disclosure has missing data as Berkshire Hathaway was given permission and likely still does not include the full holdings: Confidential information has been omitted from the Form 13F and filed separately with the Commission.

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Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA) was 405,000 shares, ALMOST DOUBLE from the 216,000 shares last quarter as a prior new position.  Now valued at $122 million.
M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE: MTB) is 5.363 million, SAME AS before but had been cut in prior quarters.
Moody’s Corp. (NYSE: MCO) was 28.4 million; SAME AS last quarter but this is down from prior reports as Moody’s is slowly getting cut.
Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) was 76.7 million shares; SAME AS last quarter but lower than the 96.3 million shares in prior quarters.
Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) was 4.06 million shares; SAME AS before.
Torchmark Corp. (NYSE: TMK) was 2.82 million shares; SAME AS before.
US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) was roughly 69 million shares; SAME AS before.
USG Corp. (NYSE: USG) was 17.072 million shares; SAME AS before.
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) was 1.429 million shares; SAME AS before.
Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSK) was 2,101,125 shares, a NEW POSITION listed as $72.7 million as of June 30.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) was just over 39 million shares; SAME AS before after having been raised in 2010.
Washington Post (NYSE: WPO) was over 1.72 million shares; SAME AS before and Buffett kept his word so far about holding the Washington Post shares despite stepping down from its board.
Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) was over 368.6 million; this one GREW AGAIN from the 358.9 million shares at March 31, 2011; was listed as over 342 Million shares one quarter earlier and over 336.4 million two quarters before that.

PAGE ONE…BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘A to L’

As noted earlier… today’s holding disclosure has missing data as Berkshire Hathaway was given permission and likely still does not include the full holdings: Confidential information has been omitted from the Form 13F and filed separately with the Commission.  

Wesco Financial Corp. (NYSE: WSC) was not listed but that is because it was acquired by Berkshire.

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JON C. OGG

Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA) is a brand new position, but a small one at 216,000 shares worth about $54.3 million as of March 31.
M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB) is 5.363 million, SAME AS BEFORE after having been previously cut.
Moody’s Corp. (NYSE: MCO) is the same 28.4 million as last quarter, but this is down from prior reports as Moody’s is slowly getting cut.
Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) had been lowered in a prior period but that has been flat now for two quarters; position is now 76.7 million shares versus 96.3 million shares in prior quarters.
Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) is SAME AS BEFORE at just over 4,06 million shares.
Torchmark Corp. (NYSE: TMK) is SAME AS BEFORE at roughly 2.82 million shares.
US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) is the SAME AS BEFORE at roughly 69 million shares.
USG Corp. (NYSE: USG) SAME AS BEFORE at 17.072 million shares.
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) SAME AS BEFORE at 1.429 million shares.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) SAME AS BEFORE at just over 39 million shares after having been raised before in 2010.
Washington Post (NYSE: WPO) SAME AS BEFORE at over 1.72 million shares.  Buffett kept his word so far about holding the Washington Post shares despite stepping down from its board.
Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) grew yet again, but we already knew this after the earnings report.  This was listed as more than 358.9 million shares at March 31, 2011.  Wells Fargo was listed as over 342 Million shares one quarter earlier and over 336.4 million two quarters ago. 
Wesco Financial Corp. (NYSE: WSC) is the same at about 5.7 million shares but it doesn’t really matter as Buffett and Berkshire are trying to acquire the rest of the company.

PAGE ONE…BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘A to L’

Again, today’s holding disclosure feels like a lot is missing as Berkshire Hathaway was given permission to not disclose certain positions (most likely Combs’s new picks).  The public equities list are $53.6 billion (plus change) versus the $61.8 billion noted above.  The Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA) position is the only new position that we are allowed to see and it is too small to be a significant position.

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JON C. OGG

Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) is SAME AS BEFORE at just over 4 million shares.
Torchmark Corp. (NYSE: TMK) is SAME AS BEFORE at roughly 2.82 million shares.
US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) SAME AS BEFORE at roughly 69 million shares.
USG Corp. (NYSE: USG) SAME AS BEFORE at 17.072 million shares.
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) SAME AS BEFORE at 1.429 million shares.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) SAME AS BEFORE at just over 39 million shares after having been raised before.
Washington Post (NYSE: WPO) SAME AS BEFORE at over 1.72 million shares and Buffett said he was holding shares despite stepping down from its Board of Directors.
Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) GREW AGAIN AS A HOLDING to more than 342 Million shares; it was 336.4+ million shares last quarter and has grown in prior quarters.
Wesco Financial Corp. (NYSE: WSC) SAME AS BEFORE at 5.703 million shares, but now BUFFETT IS ACQUIRING THE REST TO TAKE IT PRIVATE.

BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘A to I’

BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘J to R’

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JON C. OGG

These positions include ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST), Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE: BDX), Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), Nalco Holding Company (NYSE: NLC), Torchmark Corporation (NYSE: TMK), and USG Corporation (NYSE: USG).  A couple of these stocks were above their implied target prices, but some only had upside of 1% to 3%. This compares to Buffett’s largest implied upside picks which had more than a 10% hurdle.

We used the closing price as of  December 6 for the analysis.  We gave a percentage upside based on how much the stocks had to move to reach the Thomson Reuters consensus price target for a year from now.  We reviewed the prospects of each company which includes a brief description of the firms, how the shares have performed versus a 52-week range, and analyzed the dividend yields of each corporation.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) closed Monday at $64.18, above the oil giant’s consensus price target of $62.81.  Buffett kept his stake in the last quarter unchanged but that is after cutting his position over the past several quarters. He has indicated he might sell the stock for tax purposes but he has retained a  modest ownership position.  Conoco at least offers a 3.4% dividend yield.  Buffett admitted that the timing of this investment was wrong, but the good news is that shares are up more than 50% from the lows in 2009.

Costco Wholesale Corporation’s (NASDAQ: COST) stock is one of the few that has consistently risen lately.  It almost always trades at a premium over its peers, but that has not undermined its valuation.  After a $69.19 close on Monday, shares hit a 52-week high of $69.41.  Does it matter then that analysts have a consensus price target of $68.61 a year out?  The dividend yield here is only 1.2%. It is worth noting that shares peaked just above of $70.00 in late-2007 and in early 2008 .

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE: BDX) is the first of several stocks that still have upside but that is so small that it is hardly worth mentioning.  Monday’s close for BD was $80.85, and its 52-week trading range is $66.47 to $81.65.  The consensus price target for one-year out is $82.23.  That implies an upside of only 1.7%, which is below its 2% dividend.  The shares still managed to challenge 52-week highs recently. The 52-week trading range is $66.47 to $81.65.

Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) is SAME AS BEFORE at just over 4 million shares.
Torchmark Corp. (NYSE: TMK) is SAME AS BEFORE at roughly 2.82 million shares.
US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) SAME AS BEFORE at roughly 69 million shares.
USG Corp. (NYSE: USG) SAME AS BEFORE at 17.072 million shares.
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) SAME AS BEFORE at 1.429 million shares.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) SAME AS BEFORE at just over 39 million shares after having been raised before.
Washington Post (NYSE: WPO) SAME AS BEFORE at over 1.72 million shares.
Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) is an INCREASED POSITION to 336.4+ million shares after about 325 million a quarter ago and after having been raised before in prior quarters.
Wesco Financial Corp. (NYSE: WSC) SAME AS BEFORE at 5.703 million shares.  This is one that almost does not matter because Buffett and Munger have already expressed an interest in an at-the-money acquisition of the rest of the company.

BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘A to G’

BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘H to R’

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JON C. OGG

Sanofi Aventis (NYSE: SNY) is 4.063 million, which appears to be higher than what we calculated as being “more than 3.9 million shares” a quarter earlier.  That one could be a rounding difference.
Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) is NOT a common stock… but Buffett still holds the preferred shares and warrants.
Torchmark Corp. (NYSE: TMK) roughly 2.82 million, SAME AS before.
US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) roughly 69 million; SAME AS last quarter.
USG Corp. (NYSE: USG) 17.072 million shares, SAME AS last quarter.
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) 1.429 million shares, SAME AS before.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is just over 39 million; SAME AS last quarter after it had been raised earlier.
Washington Post (NYSE: WPO) over 1.72 million shares, SAME AS last quarter.
Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: was roughly 325 million shares, which appears mostly static after having been raised in the quarters before.
Wesco Financial Corp. (NYSE: WSC) 5.703 million shares, SAME AS last quarter.

BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘A to G’

BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘H to R’

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JON C. OGG

Sanofi Aventis (NYSE: SNY) more than 3.9 million shares, SAME as before.
Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) is NOT a common stock… but Buffett still holds the preferred shares and warrants.
Torchmark Corp. (NYSE: TMK) roughly 2.82 million, SAME as before.
US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) roughly 69 million; SAME as last quarter.
USG Corp. (NYSE: USG) 17.072 million shares, SAME as last quarter.
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) 1.429 million shares, SAME as before.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is just over 39 million; SAME as last quarter after it had been raised from 37.8 million; well above the 19.9+ million shares three quarters ago.
Washington Post (NYSE: WPO) over 1.72 million shares, SAME as before.
Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: was roughly 319.5 million shares; roughly SAME as last quarter’ before that it had raised from 319.5 million shares versus 313.3 million shares a quarter ago and above the 302 million shares before that and above the 290+ million shares before that.
Wesco Financial Corp. (NYSE: WSC) 5.703 million shares, SAME as before.

Sun Trust Bank (NYSE: STI) IS ZERO, so it is gone from being a decreased position of almost 2.4 million shares, down from 3.079 million shares a quarter ago and down from 3.2+ million two quarters ago.
Travelers Cos. (NYSE: TRV) is ZERO, but this was always tiny at 27,336 shares before.
United Health Group (NYSE: UNH) is ZERO;  that has been eliminated after having been a decreased holding of 1.175 million shares after 3 or 4 quarters of decline. .
Wellpoint Inc. (NYSE: WLP) is ZERO; that has been ELIMINATED from the 1.343 million shares the quarter before.

BUFFETT HOLDINGS A to G

BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘H to R’

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Sponsor: 5 best investments for 2010 – The next nine months represent a bold new era for investors.

We did do a full earnings preview of about 50 big companies on deck this coming week, but we chose not to include that as the focus of The Unusual Suspects because there were too many.  In that full preview list, we included a full chart/table with tickers, a 52-week range, P/E ratios, earnings and revenue expectations from Thomson Reuters, and even the dividend yields of each.

This week’s Unusual Suspects continues below…

ARM Holdings plc (NASDAQ: ARMH), the British mobile processor maker, has been ‘the buyout rumor of technology’ this week.  Some say Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), but then TheStreet.com noted Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC).  A week ago this went out at $11.05, and this week it went out at $11.89.  The options in this are too thinly traded to be of help, and this company could have been bought at many points in the last decade for far less money than today’s value.  Rate this one a coin toss.

Dearborn Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: DEAR) is in play, just not merger play. The bank holding company in Michigan is still a story of contraction, but the bank posted such a large profit on managing its assets that this was The biggest bank turnaround story of this current earnings season.  Shares were up over 100% at one point on the earnings report this week, then it closed up yet another 33% this Friday.  A week ago this was a $1.43 stock.  Now it sits at $3.96.  This was above $20 in the recent years before the meltdown.

E*Trade Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: ETFC) is under a new CEO Stephen Freiberg, who this week said after earnings metrics that he is more focused on turnaround rather than a takeout scenario.  That doesn’t matter.  The shares were at $1.74 a week ago, yet they were at $1.90at the close on Friday and that looks to be the highest closing price since Sept. 22, 2009.  We have yet to see any capitulation trading nor any blow-off top as though a rumor was becoming reality, but this one is trading on more than just a turnaround story.

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) has its annual shareholder meeting this week, and I am supposed to have an exclusive interview lined up.  We still hold out some slight hope that GE will hike the dividend, although Jeff Immelt and Keith Sherin have said enough times that 2011 will be the year for dividend growth that I am losing faith in a dividend hike coming sooner rather than later.  At $19.07, its 52-week trading range is $10.50 to $19.69 and it is technically up about 200% from lows seen at the peak of the panic selling in early 2009.

Guess? Inc. (NYSE: GES) was given a positive feature story in Barron’s this weekend. The clothing maker shares have already doubled, yet Barron’s noted shares could rise another 25% or so from here due to growth opportunities in emerging markets and due to it being cheaper than peers.  In a static market, this could be worth 2% to 3% on Monday.

Medifast Inc. (NYSE: MED) took over FINALLY for Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ: LULU) as the #1 of the IBD 100 after a multi-week consecutive top spot.  A week ago this was a $29.50 stock, and this week it closed out at $30.94.  IBD said the “healthcare products maker earnings’s accelerate for 3 consecutive quarter.”  While the 52-week low is all the way down at $5.16, this is not even close to the 52-week high of $36.58 from December.

Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) was up all day Friday, but perhaps on a different rumor than a merger.  The buzz around the campfire now is that Palm is going to restructure and CEO Rubenstein may be out.  Good luck.  This closed up 3.5% at $5.03 and the rumor mill persists here in Palm.

RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) is up for earnings on Monday.  Thomson Reuters estimates are $0.36 EPS on revenues of $1 billion.  Frankly, at $23.17 and a 52-week range of $11.26 to $24.00 all we care about is how Julian Day addresses the long-standing buyout chatter that has been on the street for weeks.

Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) did not participate in Friday’s strength seen in many peers, mostly due to ongoing safety and business model concerns after it lost a rig this week in a deadly accident in the Gulf of Mexico.  The stock closed down over 2% from the week’s highs, but it actually closed UP for the week at $89.89 vs. $86.96 the week before.  Analysts still have an average of $105 or higher on the stock.

USG Corp. (NYSE: USG) was up almost 6% Friday on far more volume than you even see with earnings reports. This was on positive homebuilder sentiment but the issue on top of 7.3 million shares versus 1.4 million on average trading, this one had extremely active Call buying in the $25 CALL strike prices for the 3 closest expiration months.  This one was trading as though “Rumor Friday” would lead to “Merger Monday” although nothing solid was out.

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JON C. OGG