Securities and Exchange Commission Filings

You've probably heard of Berkshire Hathaway's major holdings, such as Coca-Cola, GEICO Insurance, and most recently Dairy Queen, because of their frequent mention in the press. But not all of the companies in which Berkshire Hathaway invests get public notice like that. They aren't even all mentioned in Berkshire Hathaway's annual report.

However, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) requires that if you are buying a significant percentage of another company, you must report that purchase to the SEC. We will report that information to you when it becomes available.

So I'll know as soon as Mr. Buffett makes a purchase, right?

Well, not exactly. If a filing is made electronically to the SEC, it is available right away. But if the filing is made in writing, as is typical with Berkshire Hathaway, it may be as long as a year before the SEC releases the information in one of its reports, and it won't show up on EDGAR, the SEC's online data search facility. We will watch the SEC's output closely, and give you any new information on Mr. Buffett's purchases as soon as it's available.

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