Quant Billionaire Jim Simons Loves These 5 Defensive Stocks

1. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 109      

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) engages in the insurance, freight rail transportation, and utility businesses. Latest data shows that Renaissance Technologies owned close to 1.7 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) at the end of June 2022 worth $488 million, representing 0.57% of the total portfolio. It is one of the most prominent defensive stocks in the portfolio of quant billionaire Jim Simons. 

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) is traditionally referred to as one of the best defensive stocks in the Jim Simons portfolio since the firm has interests in a number of cash-rich businesses with strong pricing power that can withstand recessionary pressures. 

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Chicago-based investment firm Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust is a leading shareholder in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B), with 34.7 million shares worth more than $9.5 billion. 

In its Q1 2022 investor letter, Diamond Hill Capital , an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“Diversified holding company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) reported strong earnings during the quarter and benefited from continued share repurchases below intrinsic value. The company also announced significant deployments of excess cash during the quarter, including the acquisition of Alleghany and a large increase in its stake in Occidental Petroleum.”

You can also take a peek at 13 Best Hemp Stocks to Buy Now and Billionaire Dan Loeb’s Top 10 Stock Picks.

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