wide moatrated berkshire hathaway brkabrkb reported a relatively busy first quarter for its equity investment portfolio with net sales exclusive of purchases coming in at an estimated 104 billion based on the insurer’s 13f filing and a similar filing for new england asset management a wholly owned subsidiary of the firm’s gen re insurance subsidiary the biggest reduction on an absolute basis from the combined portfolios was a meaningful reduction of holdings in chevron cvx with berkshire selling 349 million shares or 21 of total holdings at the end of 2022 for an estimated 60 billion the company also completely eliminated its stakes in bank of new york mellon bk selling 251 million shares for an estimated 11 billion taiwan semiconductor manufacturing tsm 83 million shares for an estimated 695 million and rh rh 24 million shares for an estimated 603 million berkshire also trimmed stakes in general motors gm 100 million shares for an estimated 352 million activision blizzard atvi 33 million shares for an estimated 266 million and mckesson mck 06 million shares for an estimated 207 million the insurer nearly eliminated its stake in us bancorp usb selling 81 million shares or 98 of total holdings at the end of 2022 for an estimated 323 million additionally berkshire and neam raised an estimated 443 million through either reducing or eliminating stakes in more than 60 other smaller holdings during the first quarter missing from the filings is berkshire’s sale of shares in byd byddy since august of last year the insurer has sold off close to half of the 205 stake it’s held in the chinese electric car maker since 2008 around 970 million of the proceeds generated during the first quarter were directed toward new money purchases with the biggest investment being 99 million shares of capital one financial cof purchased for an estimated 938 million berkshire also acquired an additional 174 million shares of occidental petroleum oxy for 10 billion