In the fourth quarter of 2023, Wall Street's heavyweight investors, including some of the biggest names in finance, made new bets on technology behemoths, according to recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Stake-holding disclosures revealed that these investors loaded up on positions in Amazon, Alphabet, Alibaba, and Nvidia, while Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway opted for a different approach, trimming its holdings in Apple and HP.

Berkshire Hathaway, led by renowned investor Warren Buffett, reduced its positions in Apple and HP during the quarter. However, the conglomerate added to its stakes in oil giants Chevron and Occidental Petroleum. In addition, Berkshire Hathaway made a confidential investment that it has yet to disclose publicly.

The filings also showcased the strategic moves made by other institutions during the fourth quarter of 2023, with a significant focus on technology companies. Scion Capital, managed by Michael Burry, who gained fame for shorting subprime mortgages in the 2008 financial crisis, purchased 35,000 shares of Alphabet and 30,000 shares of Amazon. Scion Capital also increased its bets on Chinese e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com.

Meanwhile, Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund firm globally, raised its stake in Nvidia by a staggering 458%, adding over 220,000 shares. The firm also increased its position in Alphabet by more than 465,000 shares, making it the fund's 12th-largest holding as of December's end. Additionally, Bridgewater Associates obtained a small stake in Apple.

AQR, another prominent hedge fund, boosted its stake in Nvidia by 22%. However, the firm slightly reduced its holdings in Apple and Microsoft by 5% and 4% respectively, despite them being its largest positions.

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway sold only 1% of its Apple holdings, equating to 10 million shares, maintaining a significant stake of over 950 million shares. This comes as Apple faced challenges at the start of 2024, including downgrades to its stock price, groundbreaking changes to its App Store policies, and potential antitrust litigation with potential implications on its business. These obstacles coincided with the launch of the ambitious Vision Pro headset.

Interestingly, the Soros Fund, another notable investor, also scaled back its exposure to Apple during the fourth quarter. Furthermore, several key investors made noteworthy bets on the banking industry, particularly New York Community Bank (NYCB), a regional lender currently facing scrutiny. Soros Fund, AQR, and Millennium Management all increased their investments in NYCB, which astonished Wall Street by slashing its dividend and reporting a net quarterly loss of $252 million on January 31.

It remains unknown how these funds managed their stakes between the end of the fourth quarter and the present. However, financial market observers will closely monitor future filings to gain insights into the evolving strategies and positions of these prominent investors.