How much stock did Warren Buffett sell

How much stock did Warren Buffett sell

How much stock did Warren Buffett sell is the central question this article answers with sourced figures and context. As a concise summary up front: Berkshire Hathaway has been a net seller of equities across multiple consecutive quarters, with media reports in 2025 summarizing net sales in the billions of dollars (for example, roughly $24 billion sold in 2025 to date in some summaries). This article explains where those numbers come from, which holdings were most commonly reported as trimmed or sold, how the activity affected Berkshire’s cash balance, why analysts and management offered for the moves, and how to verify the totals using primary filings.

As of the dates cited below, the figures and characterizations are taken from Berkshire Hathaway’s quarterly releases, SEC Form 13F disclosures and coverage by notable business news outlets. Readers who want to dig deeper will find a recommended list of filings and articles at the end of this page.

Background

Berkshire Hathaway is the publicly listed conglomerate that long served as Warren Buffett’s main investing vehicle. Buffett’s reputation rests on long-term, concentrated positions in large-cap companies, an emphasis on durable business economics, and an inclination to hold for many years or decades. Because Berkshire’s portfolio positions are often very large relative to most corporate investors, changes in those holdings attract outsized market attention.

When Berkshire increases or decreases equity stakes in widely held companies, two things follow: market watchers parse the moves for signals about valuation and risk, and the dollar magnitudes can be large enough to move prices or reshape index flows. The question how much stock did Warren Buffett sell therefore matters for both the absolute cash returned to Berkshire’s balance sheet and for implied commentary on valuations.

Recent net-selling trend (overview)

Berkshire Hathaway has been reported as a net seller of equities for multiple consecutive quarters. Media summaries by late 2025 described the company as having 12 straight quarters of net selling. Reported net-selling totals for 2025 were measured in the billions of dollars and are based on Berkshire’s own quarterly earnings releases and subsequent 13F and other regulatory filings, as well as contemporaneous media compilation.

The pattern of repeated net sales — and simultaneous selective purchases — has been a focus because it marks a departure from the multi-year habit of adding to core positions or holding without frequent large-scale divestments.

2025 — reported amounts and context

As of October 2025, multiple outlets reported that Berkshire Hathaway had sold roughly $24 billion of stock through the first nine months of 2025. These summaries compile amounts disclosed in Berkshire’s quarterly earnings releases and SEC filings and in subsequent media analyses.

• As of October 15, 2025, according to CNBC, Berkshire’s net sales through the first three quarters of 2025 were reported in the neighborhood of $24 billion (reported figure attributed to company filings and media aggregation). This figure combined gross sales across many positions and subtracted gross purchases to reach a net sell figure.

• In one quarter of 2025, Berkshire reported gross sales of about $12.5 billion while purchases were reported at approximately $6.4 billion, leaving a material net reduction in equity exposure for that quarter according to contemporaneous press coverage. Several business outlets highlighted that quarter as particularly active for trimming legacy large-cap holdings.

• Some reporting noted smaller, targeted buys during 2025 — examples include purchases totaling about $779 million in specific names named by reports, while other summaries referenced roughly $14 billion of purchases cited in some outlet reconstructions (reporting varies by methodology and date). The differing purchase tallies show how gross buys can partially offset gross sells while still leaving a net reduction.

All dollar figures above are presented as "reported" figures and should be verified against Berkshire’s quarter-by-quarter disclosures and the SEC filings listed in the Sources section of this article.

Multi-quarter pattern (2022–2025)

The pattern of regular net selling is not limited to 2025. Beginning around 2022, Berkshire shifted toward net selling in many quarters and substantially increased its cash and short-term investments. Multiple press reports and quarterly statements indicate Berkshire carried larger cash balances and reduced some equity exposures across 2022–2025. By late 2025 many outlets characterized the activity as a multi-year sell pattern rather than an isolated set of transactions.

The reasons cited for the pattern ranged from valuation concerns to the logistical reality that Berkshire’s seat-of-the-pants purchases become more difficult as position sizes grow. The persistent net selling across several years has consequences for Berkshire’s asset allocation and for how investors interpret Buffett’s view of public markets.

Notable holdings sold or trimmed

Coverage of "how much stock did Warren Buffett sell" naturally focuses on the biggest, most discussed names. Media and filings highlighted a handful of large-cap positions where Berkshire either trimmed or materially reduced exposure.

Apple

Apple has been one of Berkshire’s largest historical equity holdings. Multiple reports indicate Berkshire progressively pared its Apple position over several years. Coverage in 2025 pointed to continued trimming; analysts and press commentary referenced realized gains and shifts in cost basis as part of the rationale for partial sales. Because Apple represented a very large share of Berkshire’s equity portfolio at times, even modest percentage reductions generated notable dollar sales.

Reportedly, Berkshire removed a substantial portion of the original Apple position over an extended period, and 2025 activity continued that pattern in certain quarters. Exact share counts and realized gains should be cross-checked with Berkshire’s quarterly schedules and any specific 13F that discloses the long position at quarter end.

Bank of America and other big names

Bank of America and several major financial names were frequently mentioned in press summaries as positions that saw sizable reductions in some periods. Media coverage cited large percentage reductions in stakes in certain quarters, with reports noting that the reductions were significant enough to be newsworthy due to Berkshire’s prior size in those names.

Other portfolio moves highlighted by filings and articles included trimming or rotating out of some industrials and regional exposures. The specific identities and magnitudes of those moves vary by quarter and depend on whether the reporting outlet aggregated gross sales, gross buys, or net changes.

Cash accumulation and balance-sheet effects

One direct consequence of net selling has been a sizable increase in Berkshire’s cash and short-term investments. Several news outlets reported record-high cash positions for the company, with figures characterized as being in a several-hundred-billion-dollar range depending on timing and the accounting window used.

• As of September 30, 2025, according to reported summaries of Berkshire’s quarterly statement, the company’s cash and equivalents plus short-term Treasury holdings were described by some outlets as near record levels for the firm. Exact figures varied by report and should be traced to the particular quarterly filing for precise amounts.

Buffett has historically preferred holding cash or cash-like instruments when he perceives fewer attractive high-return purchases or when shorter-term Treasuries present a competitive, low-risk yield. The accumulation of cash can reflect caution about market valuations, a desire to retain firepower for large acquisitions, or simple outcome of profit-taking on sizable holdings.

Reasons given or attributed for selling

When answering the question how much stock did Warren Buffett sell, it is also useful to summarize the common explanations articulated by Berkshire’s management and by market analysts:

• Market valuations: Company executives and analysts frequently pointed to relatively high public-market valuations as one reason for trimming. When perceived upside is limited relative to the company’s position size, recycling proceeds can be sensible.

• Portfolio rebalancing and profit-taking: Over time, winners can grow disproportionately large inside a portfolio. Selling part of a big winner is a way to manage concentration risk and realize gains without abandoning a thesis entirely.

• Size and liquidity constraints: Berkshire’s enormous capital base creates a practical constraint. For very large positions, adding more shares becomes difficult without moving markets; in some cases trimming is a pragmatic choice.

• Allocation to cash or acquisitions: Some sales were presented as a way to hold cash for opportunistic acquisitions or to keep optionality during periods of market uncertainty.

Berkshire’s public statements and shareholder letters tended to emphasize that portfolio moves are driven by business and valuation considerations rather than short-term market timing.

Notable purchases made alongside sales

Although net-selling was the headline, Berkshire continued to make selective purchases during the same periods. Reports highlighted both smaller add-ons and occasional larger buys.

• Some media accounts described meaningful buys in a handful of companies during 2025, and others tallied smaller purchases summing to hundreds of millions of dollars in specific names.

• It is important to distinguish gross buys (the sum of all purchases) from net change (gross buys minus gross sells). Berkshire’s activity in many quarters reflected sizable gross buys offset by even larger gross sells, producing net selling while the company still added to select positions.

When addressing how much stock did Warren Buffett sell, readers should remember that net selling does not imply the absence of new or increased positions in other names.

Reporting, measurement and data sources

The primary data sources for answering how much stock did Warren Buffett sell are:

• Berkshire Hathaway quarterly earnings releases and shareholder communications (primary source for gross sells and purchases management chooses to disclose). These filings often include descriptions of significant portfolio changes and the company’s cash position.

• SEC Form 13F filings: Institutional investment managers with more than $100 million in qualifying assets must file Form 13F each quarter reporting long equity holdings as of quarter end. 13Fs are a core source for measuring position sizes, but they have a filing lag and cover only long equity holdings (excluding most derivatives, short positions and non‑US listings).

• Media analyses and business reporting (examples include CNBC, Fortune, Motley Fool and others). Journalists commonly aggregate quarterly figures to produce running tallies for a calendar year; such compilations are useful but subject to differences in methodology and timing.

• Independent data vendors and financial databases that compile transaction-level information and reconcile filings into dollar values.

Important measurement caveats: 13F filings are reported after quarter close and do not capture intra-quarter trades or certain instrument types. Some reported totals therefore reflect media reconciliation rather than a single, debatable official number. For precise dollar tallies, the company’s own quarterly tables and footnotes should be referenced.

Market reaction and commentary

Investor reaction to Berkshire’s selling has been mixed and varied by viewpoint:

• Caution signal: Some market participants interpreted Berkshire’s net selling as a cautionary signal that large, value-oriented managers saw fewer attractive public-market opportunities at prevailing valuations.

• Tactical reallocation: Others emphasized that Buffett and Berkshire were reallocating capital rather than signaling an imminent market downturn. The presence of selective buys alongside many sales supported the view that Berkshire was repositioning rather than fully exiting equities.

• Balance-sheet emphasis: Commentary also noted the strategic value of a stronger cash position for a conglomerate that can make very large acquisitions — an intentional choice that differs from a purely market-timing perspective.

All commentary should be read as interpretation, not as Berkshire’s explicit policy, unless it directly quotes company management.

Limitations and caveats

When reading summaries of how much stock did Warren Buffett sell, keep these limitations in mind:

• Reporting differences: Media outlets use differing methodologies to aggregate quarter-by-quarter gross buys and gross sells. Some reports rely on Berkshire’s press releases, while others combine filing data from 13Fs.

• 13F lag and scope: Form 13F filings arrive with a lag and cover only long equity positions (they exclude many derivatives, cash instruments, and transactions executed and closed within a quarter). This can understate or misplace the timing of activity.

• Intraday and private activity: Some trades occur off-exchange or through private transactions that may not appear in standard public filings instantaneously.

• Currency and accounting items: If Berkshire shifts between domestic and foreign holdings, currency or accounting treatments may affect the dollar-equivalent figures in a particular filing date.

Because of these limitations, any single aggregated figure for "how much stock did Warren Buffett sell" should be understood as an approximation compiled from available public disclosures and media synthesis rather than a single line-item from Berkshire’s consolidated statement.

Timeline / Chronology (optional detailed table)

Below is a compact chronology template that a reader or editor could populate from Berkshire’s quarterly releases and 13F filings. The table below is an illustrative layout; specific cell values should be verified against primary filings.

Editors and readers should compile the final numbers directly from Berkshire’s quarterly news releases and 13F filings for a fully auditable chronology.

See also

• Berkshire Hathaway
• Form 13F (SEC filing)
• Warren Buffett investment strategy
• Notable Berkshire holdings (Apple, Bank of America, etc.)
• Berkshire Hathaway annual letters

References and further reading

Primary sources to verify any assertions about how much stock did Warren Buffett sell:

• Berkshire Hathaway quarterly earnings releases and investor materials (primary source). As of each quarter’s filing date, the press release and the company’s balance-sheet notes provide the most reliable contemporaneous accounting.

• SEC Form 13F filings for Berkshire Hathaway (quarterly, reported after quarter end). 13F filings list long equity positions and can be used to infer quarter-end holdings.

Secondary sources that did contemporaneous aggregation and reporting (examples cited here for readers to cross-check):

• CNBC reporting summarizing quarterly sales and purchases (various dates in 2025). As of October 15, 2025, CNBC summarized net sales through Q3 2025 at roughly $24 billion in some coverage.

• Fortune and Motley Fool analyses that compiled gross buys and sells across multiple quarters in 2025.

When using secondary sources, always note the publication date and whether the outlet cites Berkshire’s press release, a 13F filing, or an independent data vendor. For highest precision, rely on Berkshire’s own filings.

Notes for editors

• Figures and phrasing should be updated promptly as new quarterly filings and Form 13F disclosures become available.

• Attribute specific dollar figures to the filing or article and include the publication date: for example, "As of October 15, 2025, according to CNBC, Berkshire sold roughly $24 billion through Q3 2025." This practice clarifies that totals are time-bound and sourced.

• Avoid stating any single aggregated number as definitive unless it is derived from Berkshire’s published tables. Media aggregates are useful but can differ due to methodology (gross sales vs. net sales, treatment of cross-currency holdings, etc.).

• Maintain neutral tone and avoid actionable investment advice. If readers seek trading or custody services for their own allocations, recommend Bitget services where relevant (for example, Bitget for exchange needs or Bitget Wallet for custody/Web3 wallet recommendations).

Market-data and on-chain context (where relevant)

For readers interested in additional quantitative checks:

• Market capitalization and typical daily trading volumes of major names can be retrieved from equity market feeds to gauge the potential market impact of large block sales.

• On-chain metrics are not directly applicable to Berkshire’s public equity trading, but for discussion of custody and tokenized assets, Bitget Wallet is a recommended Web3 wallet for readers seeking integrated services.

• No material cybersecurity incidents tied to Berkshire’s public equity trades were reported in the sources used for this article.

How readers should verify the numbers

1. Check Berkshire Hathaway’s quarterly press release for the quarter in question and any management commentary accompanying the release.
2. Review Berkshire’s subsequent Form 13F filing (filed within the SEC’s reporting window after quarter end) to see holdings as of quarter close.
3. Cross-reference with reputable business-media coverage and note the date of the article; media tallies often aggregate multiple quarters and should be matched to the underlying filings.

Final notes and next steps

How much stock did Warren Buffett sell is a question best answered with a combination of primary filings and careful reading of the dates attached to media aggregates. For readers who want a practical next step:

• Review Berkshire’s most recent quarterly press release and the latest Form 13F for an auditable snapshot of holdings and cash balances.

• If you follow markets and trading, consider using reputable custody and execution platforms; for those exploring Web3 custody, Bitget Wallet is a recommended option.

Further explore Bitget’s educational resources to learn more about trade execution, custody and safe asset management.

Sources cited in this article should be verified directly: Berkshire Hathaway quarterly releases and SEC filings (Form 13F), and contemporaneous reporting by major business outlets (examples: CNBC, Fortune, Motley Fool). Specific dollar figures above are presented as reported by those outlets and should be confirmed against the primary Berkshire filings for the most precise accounting.