Warren Buffett, often referred to as “The Oracle of Omaha,” is renowned for his investment acumen. As market volatility surged in early 2025 due to events like the release of DeepSeek and President Donald Trump’s new tariffs, many investors turned their attention back to Buffett’s strategies. Despite reducing exposure to risky assets by selling significant stakes in companies like Bank of America (BAC) and accumulating a substantial cash reserve, Buffett has not entirely exited the equity markets. Investors who followed his lead by investing in some of his major holdings would have seen positive returns by February 3, 2025.
If an investor had allocated $1,000 into Warren Buffett’s top five stock holdings at the start of 2025, the results would reflect a mixed performance. Dividing the investment equally among these stocks—Apple (AAPL), American Express (AXP), Bank of America (BAC), Coca-Cola (KO), and Chevron (CVX)—would have led to varying outcomes based on each company’s year-to-date (YTD) performance.
Starting with Apple, which represents Buffett’s largest position, the stock experienced an 8.17% decline YTD. Consequently, an initial $200 investment in AAPL would have diminished to $183.66 by press time. However, other holdings helped offset this loss. American Express showed resilience with a 4.91% increase, making the $200 stake grow to $209.82. Similarly, Bank of America, despite being partially sold off in 2024, gained 2.89%, bringing the investment value to $205.78.
Coca-Cola and Chevron also performed relatively well, posting gains of 1.44% and 2.93%, respectively. This translated to $202.88 and $205.86 from the original $200 investments in KO and CVX. Overall, the combined portfolio appreciated by 0.8%, resulting in a total value of $1,008 as of February 3, 2025.
Alternatively, considering Buffett’s most recent purchases could have yielded slightly different results. Given the latest available 13-f filing data from September 30, 2024, an investor might have opted for his newer picks: Sirius XM (SIRI), VeriSign (VRSN), and Occidental Petroleum (OXY). Splitting $1,000 equally among these three stocks, each receiving approximately $333, would have resulted in varied performances.
Sirius XM saw a robust 9.42% rise, increasing the stake to $364.37. VeriSign also posted modest growth of 3%, bringing its value to $342.99. Conversely, Occidental Petroleum faced a 6.72% decline, reducing the investment to $310.62. Collectively, this strategy generated $18 in profit, valuing the entire portfolio at $1,017.98 by press time.
while Warren Buffett’s portfolio demonstrated mixed results across different holdings, both approaches—investing in his top five holdings or his most recent acquisitions—yielded slight profits within the first two months of 2025.
These outcomes underscore the enduring appeal of Buffett’s investment philosophy amidst turbulent market conditions.