Buffett's conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B), owns just over 1 billion shares, good for 11.4% of the Berkshire's equity portfolio, and its second largest public equity holding overall. These include large, nationwide bank branch networks, which enable lower-cost deposits, as well as the financial means to invest heavily in technology. Safety, dividends, and an inflation hedge Large banks have generally proved to be safe amid this COVID crisis and stand to benefit from higher economic growth post-pandemic.