Buffett, Berkshire Unload Most of JNJ, GE Stakes

Warren Buffett’s firm sold almost all of its shares of Johnson & Johnson and General Electric in the third quarter, while adding a few smaller new positions.

Berkshire Hathaway decreased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 95% during the quarter, and lowered its stake in GE by 88%, Alex Crippen of CNBC’s Warren Buffett Watch reports. Berkshire has had positions in both JNJ and GE since 2006, according to regulatory filings.

Berkshire also elimated small stakes in Ingersoll-Rand, Dollar General, and CVS Caremark during the third quarter, while taking new positions in Deere & Co., Precision Castparts, and Wabco Holdings. Based on their small size, the new additions were likely made by Berkshire managers Ted Weschler and Todd Combs, not Buffett, Crippen says.

Berkshire also upped existing stakes in several stocks, including General Motors, and decreased existing stakes in several others, including UPS. Click here for the full regulatory filing with all of Berkshire’s positions.