The SEC just released an updated list of Berkshire Hathaway’s stock holdings as of 09/30/2008. The Oracle of Omaha, who is the main capital allocator for Berkshire added to the following positions:

Out of 38 holdings in BRK-A’s portfolio 12 companies are dividend aristocrats, one is a dividend champion and three are dividend achievers. Only 5 of his holdings do not play any dividends at all.

Historically a portfolio of stocks mimicking his flagship company Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio holdings would have outperformed the markets. In addition to that Berkshire Hathaway A shares have delivered an annualized total return of 25% since 1976. This year the stock is down 15%. If history is any guide however, Berkshire will bounce back and reward patient investors handsomely.

Warren Buffett, the student of the now famous father or value investing Ben Graham, is the greatest stock investor of our times. He has built his flagship company, Berkshire Hathaway from a small mill to a diversified conglomerate with a total market cap of 175 billion dollars.

One of the criticisms we constantly hear of Graham and Dodd's Security Analysis is that it's too old and it no longer applies. Information is too readily available nowadays, critics say, and therefore inefficiencies in the market no longer exist. We disagree. As examples, we've discussed here some very recent inefficiencies that offered great profits for investors.