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Drugmakers

Close up of mobile phone screen with logo lettering of Merck pharmaceutical company on pile yellow red drug capsules
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The FDA will decide on Merck’s COVID-19 pill soon, but Buffett won’t be waiting for the news.

In Q3, Berkshire sold 9.16 million shares of the multinational pharmaceutical company, exiting its position entirely.

But the sale shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. Berkshire already unloaded millions of Merck shares in Q1 and Q2.

Buffett’s company also sold 6.13 million shares of drug giant AbbVie and 4.25 million shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in Q3.

The COVID-19 pandemic gave investors a new reason to check out big pharmaceutical companies, but that doesn’t mean every stock in the segment has outperformed.

Year to date, AbbVie is up about 10%, Merck has gained roughly 2%, and Bristol-Myers is actually down 8%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 is up nearly 25% in 2021.

But what really makes these drugmakers stand out? Dividends.

Each of the companies mentioned above currently provides an annual dividend yield of above 3%, much higher than the S&P 500’s 1.3%.

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Financials

Close up of many VISA and MASTER credit card background with new logo
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Financial stocks have had a solid bull run over the past year. And Buffett is cashing some chips in.

In Q3, Berkshire sold 276,108 shares of Mastercard, lowering its stake in the credit card giant by roughly 6%. It also cut its position in Visa by 4%.

Buffett also sold 2.47 million shares of U.S. Bancorp, the fifth-largest bank in the country. But it was just a 2% reduction in Berkshire’s stake.

Buffett isn’t exactly turning bearish on financials.

After all, Berkshire continues to hold more than one billion shares of Bank of America, a position with a current market value of roughly $45 billion. Berkshire also still owns approximately 151.6 million shares of American Express.

At the end of Q3, Bank of America and American Express were Berkshire’s second- and third-largest holdings, respectively.

These established financial firms pay regular quarterly dividends, which can be great for retail investors looking for passive income. And financials tend to do well in rising interest rate environments, making them a particularly timely opportunity.

These days, you can build your own blue-chip stock portfolio just by using some digital nickels and dimes.

Make passive income your priority

Aerial View Of Industrial Commerce Office Buildings.
Andy Dean Photography/Shutterstock

Even if you’re not bullish on these dividend-paying stocks, generating regular income should be a top priority for risk-averse investors.

And you don’t have to limit yourself to the stock market to do that.

For instance, some popular investing services let you lock in a steady rental income stream by investing in premium commercial real estate properties — from R&D campuses in San Jose to industrial e-commerce warehouses in Baltimore.

You’ll gain exposure to high-end properties that big-time real estate moguls usually have access to.

And the best part? You'll receive regular passive income in the form of cash distributions without any headaches or hassles.

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About the Author

Jing Pan

Jing Pan

Investment Reporter

Jing is an investment reporter for MoneyWise. He is an avid advocate of investing for passive income. Despite the ups and downs he’s been through with the markets, Jing believes that you can generate a steadily increasing income stream by investing in high quality companies.

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The content provided on Moneywise is information to help users become financially literate. It is neither tax nor legal advice, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, either express or implied, with respect to the data provided, the timeliness thereof, the results to be obtained by the use thereof or any other matter.