Berkshire Hathaway sold about 33.9 million shares of Bank of America for around $1.48 billion over multiple transactions this week, a regulatory filing showed.
After the sale, Berkshire owned about 999 million BofA shares.
Berkshire is one of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based lender's largest shareholder. It also invests in several other banks, including Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N)]
Buffett had invested $5 billion in the bank in 2011 in exchange for preferred stock and the right to buy common shares, providing a vital signal of confidence in the lender after the financial crisis. The cash infusion had quelled doubts about whether the bank had enough capital, and its shares soon surged, creating a massive paper profit for Berkshire.
Buffett eventually used those rights and additional share purchases to build up a stake that swelled into one of Berkshire’s largest stock holdings. The billionaire’s lengthy investment has also served as a vote of confidence in the stewardship of the bank’s chief executive officer, Brian Moynihan.
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