When you hear “Berkshire Hathaway”, you probably think “Warren Buffett.”

Buffett is only one part of why Berkshire Hathaway might be a key component of your portfolio, though. At its core, Berkshire Hathaway is an insurance company, owning the gecko-fronted GEICO, as well as more-specialized insurance operations.

But it’s also a railroad operator, having bought BNSF. And it’s a chocolatier, with See’s Candies. It’s also an energy utility, a paint company, an underwear manufacturer, a furniture seller, a modular-home builder, a fine-jewelry seller, a boot-maker and much more. (You’ll find a list of its subsidiaries at berkshirehathaway.com.)

It’s also an asset manager, with a massive stock portfolio that includes some big positions. Indeed, it owns 8.8 percent of the whole Coca-Cola company, 7.6 percent of Wells Fargo, 5.5 percent of IBM and 13 percent of American Express.

Full Story: Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway have hands in healthy future – The Spokesman Review