Inside Berkshire Hathaway's $313 Billion Investment Arsenal: The Complete Breakdown of 46 Stocks Owned by Warren Buffett

The End of an Era—And What It Means for Investors

In January 2026, one of investing’s defining chapters will close. Warren Buffett, the legendary investor who transformed Berkshire Hathaway into a corporate titan, will step down as CEO after leading the company for decades. As his successor takes the helm, investors worldwide are scrutinizing what the holding company actually owns—a portfolio of 46 meticulously selected stocks worth approximately $313 billion as of August 2025.

Understanding the stocks owned by Warren Buffett provides a masterclass in investment philosophy. Rather than spreading capital thin across hundreds of positions, Buffett has always favored a concentrated approach backed by deep conviction.

The Powerhouse Core: Where Buffett’s Real Money Sits

What stands out immediately is Buffett’s willingness to double down on winning ideas. His top 10 holdings command roughly 82.1% of Berkshire’s entire stock portfolio—a concentrated bet that speaks volumes about his conviction level.

The Heavyweight Champions:

1. Apple — $75.9B (24.2% of portfolio)
2. American Express — $54.6B (17.4%)
3. Bank of America — $32.2B (10.3%)
4. Coca-Cola — $27.6B (8.8%)
5. Chevron — $18.8B (6%)
6. Moody’s — $11.8B (3.8%)
7. Occidental Petroleum — $10.9B (3.5%)
8. Mitsubishi — $9.3B (3%)
9. Kraft Heinz — $8.0B (2.6%)
10. Itochu — $7.8B (2.5%)

The longevity of these holdings is striking. American Express and Coca-Cola, for instance, have been anchors in Berkshire’s portfolio for decades—living proof that patient capital and buy-and-hold discipline create generational wealth. Buffett’s documented love of dividend-paying equities shines through here, though notably, Berkshire itself doesn’t pay dividends, preferring to reinvest earnings for compounding returns.

Building Breadth: The Secondary Tier

Once you move past the “Big 10,” you encounter a more varied collection of 14 stocks representing roughly 14.8% of the portfolio. This tier showcases Buffett’s diversification philosophy across insurance, banking, technology, consumer goods, and beyond.

The Supporting Cast:

Recent acquisitions pepper this category. Chubb Limited entered the portfolio in 2023, while UnitedHealth Group was added early this year following market volatility. Interestingly, Buffett has publicly acknowledged missing the early e-commerce boom, though his investment managers at Berkshire have since added Amazon as a smaller position—a humbling acknowledgment that even legends aren’t always right.

The Long Tail: 22 Smaller Bets

The remaining 22 positions collectively represent just 3% of holdings, yet their cumulative value approaches $10 billion. When you’re deploying hundreds of billions in capital, even “micro” positions merit serious consideration.

The Extended List (Positions 25-46):

Aon PLC, Ally Financial, Domino’s Pizza, Nucor, Liberty Live (Series C), Pool Corp, Lennar (Class A), Louisiana-Pacific, Liberty Live (Series A), Heico (Class A), Liberty Formula One (Series C), Charter Communications, D.R. Horton, Lamar Advertising, Allegion, NVR, Jefferies Financial Group, Lennar (Class B), Diageo, Liberty Latin America (Series A & C), and Atlanta Braves Holdings (Series C) round out the roster.

These smaller allocations reflect opportunistic deployment and tactical positioning across cyclical and defensive sectors.

The Elephant in the Room: A Record Cash Hoard

Here’s where the conversation gets genuinely intriguing. While the $313 billion portfolio commands attention, Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on $344.1 billion in cash—exceeding the total value of its stock holdings and representing enough firepower to acquire most S&P 500 constituents outright.

Buffett’s legendary patience has always centered on one principle: never overpay. His willingness to park massive sums in cash reflects his refusal to deploy capital at prices he deems unreasonable. Yet this decision will undoubtedly fuel debate among investors and analysts for years.

The Counterargument: For typical investors, dollar-cost averaging and staying perpetually invested historically outperforms market-timing strategies. The adage “time in the market beats timing the market” remains validated by decades of data. Holding outsized cash positions risks opportunity costs, particularly in bull markets.

Buffett’s Defense: Managing $313 billion in deployed capital plus $344 billion in dry powder requires discipline. Risk management at that scale is non-trivial. Perhaps Buffett is simply being characteristically cautious—a luxury afforded to investors with his resources.

What This Means for Your Portfolio

The stocks owned by Warren Buffett illustrate several timeless principles: quality compounds, patience pays, diversification reduces volatility, and a concentrated core among a wider base provides both focus and resilience. Whether Buffett’s current cash position represents genius or caution remains an open question—one that only history will definitively answer.

For individual investors, the lesson is simpler: identify your best ideas, hold them through cycles, and remain disciplined about valuations.