Investing

Warren Buffett's 6 Worst-Performing Stocks in Q2

Paul Ausick

Published: July 6, 2021 8:53 am

As of March 31, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B) had 48 stocks in its portfolio. The total value of that portfolio was $282.4 billion.

Over the course of the second quarter of the year, ending on June 30, Buffett’s portfolio increased in value to $309.3 billion, according to data from CNBC. Of the 48 stocks, just six closed the quarter with a lower value than they had at the beginning.

Here’s a look at those six stocks.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) was Buffett’s biggest loser in terms of dollars, dropping in value by $336.7 million (down 3.6%) to close the second quarter with a value of nearly $8.9 billion. Berkshire owns 158.8 million shares of the company, including 147 million added in the fourth quarter of 2020. For the year to date, Verizon stock is down nearly 2%, but over the past 12 months, the shares are up about 7.8%.

The second-biggest loser for Buffett’s portfolio was Japan’s Itochu Corp. (ITOCF), which dropped in value by some $322.8 million. At the end of the second quarter, Buffett’s stake was valued at $2.32 billion. Although the over-the-counter shares are up just over 30% for the past 12 months, they have slipped by more than 2% so far in 2021 and tumbled by 12.2% in the second quarter.

Buffett’s stake in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) lost about $70.2 million in value during the second quarter and is now worth about $423.6 million. Based on a percentage, however, Teva stock was the second quarter’s biggest loser, down 14.2%. Over the past 12 months, the stock has dropped by nearly 15%, although it has posted a gain of nearly 2% for the year to date.

Globe Life Inc. (NYSE: GL) dropped 1.4% in the second quarter and lost about $8.8 million in value. Over the past 12 months, the stock is up by 33%, but the year-to-date gain is a meager 1.5%, and the second-quarter loss of just 1.2% was a gain of more than 10% as recently as early June.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) is the sole remaining energy stock in Buffett’s portfolio. The value of Berkshire’s holdings dropped by $1.2 million, essentially unchanged during the second quarter. Chevron’s stock has added nearly 26% to its value over the past 12 months, thanks to a jump of 29% since the beginning of the year. For the second quarter, the stock added about 1.2% to its price.

Buffett’s stake in Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) dipped by just 0.4%, or $157,700. That’s largely due to Berkshire’s decision to cut its stake in the company to just half its initial position of 630,000 shares in 2005. The stock has risen by 16% in the past 12 months, but it has dropped by just over 1% for the year to date. In the second quarter, the stock added 0.3%.

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