If any investor has stood the test of time, it’s Warren Buffett, and with good reason. For years, the “Oracle of Omaha” has had a rock-star-like presence in the investing world, and his annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting draws thousands of loyal fans who are investors.
Known for his long buy-and-hold strategies and his massive portfolio of public and private holdings, he remains one of the preeminent investors in the entire world.
While Mr. Buffett is a buy-and-hold man through and through, the reality is that even he can run out of patience with his stocks. Recently, he has made some big moves, one of which may get a lot bigger soon. We screened the quarterly reports from Berkshire Hathaway, looking for stocks that are being sold, and found five companies that were taken to the trade desk for removal. Four of which were removed from the portfolio entirely.
Warren Buffett finally sold some Apple stock
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In a move that surprised many, Berkshire Hathaway reported selling 10 million shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) in the last quarter of 2023. While for many, that would be a gigantic portfolio move, it was the proverbial drop in the bucket as the fund still holds 905,560,000 shares, which equates to a 5.9% stake in the legacy technology leader. The sale only lowered the Apple holdings by 1%.
The Berkshire Hathaway Apple position is still huge
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Despite the sale, Apple remains far and away the largest holding in Warren Buffett’s portfolio. At current trading levels, the stock is worth a stunning $155,131,483,600.
The problem Apple selling presents
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Many Wall Street pundits have commented on the sale. While it’s not a big deal at the margin now, if Warren Buffet ever started selling shares on a larger scale, Apple’s stock price could plunge.
Will the Justice Department Apple Monopoly lawsuit ignite more Berkshire Hathaway selling?
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Apple is facing a gigantic lawsuit from the government over its monopoly on many of its products. The suit claims that the monopoly drove the company’s “astronomical valuation,” harming consumers. The suit is putting Apple’s so-called walled-garden model at risk. In addition, published reports indicate that the government is not opposed to breaking Apple up. This situation could ignite more sales of Apple shares by Mr. Buffett.
Warren Buffet eliminated four other companies from the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio
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In a surprising move, Mr. Buffett sold his entire position at homebuilder D. R. Horton (NYSE: DHI), which had a strong 2023. StoneCo Ltd. (NASDAQ: STNE), which Buffett bought on the IPO in 2018, has been down 48% since. He also closed out all of his holdings in Globe Life Inc. (NYSE: GL) and Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL).
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