The Motley Foolยท2025-07-19 08:05Core Insights - Warren Buffett's investment strategy focuses on determining whether a business is undervalued compared to its market price rather than trying to time the market or predict short-term stock movements [2][5] - Berkshire Hathaway has achieved a compound annual growth rate of approximately 20% since 1965, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 10.4% during the same period [3][4] Investment Strategy - Buffett's approach of buying fundamentally undervalued stocks has proven successful, but he has recently identified that many equities in Berkshire's portfolio may be overvalued [5] - Berkshire Hathaway has been a net seller of stocks for 10 consecutive quarters, selling $174 billion more than it purchased during this period [5] Portfolio Adjustments - Significant reductions in holdings include a 67% cut in Apple and a 39% reduction in Bank of America [6][12] - Apple remains the largest holding in Berkshire's portfolio, accounting for nearly 22% of its value, but its high forward P/E ratio of 29 has led Buffett to refrain from adding to this position [11][10] Cash Management - Berkshire Hathaway has accumulated substantial cash from stock sales, with $314.1 billion in U.S. Treasury bills yielding an average of 4.3%, expected to generate $13.5 billion in interest in 2025 [15][16] - Despite the significant income from Treasury bills, Buffett prefers to invest in equities rather than bonds, emphasizing a long-term commitment to equity investments [17] Market Valuation Challenges - The current market presents challenges for Buffett, as many large-cap stocks are trading at high valuations, limiting the universe of investable stocks for Berkshire [18] - Smaller and mid-cap stocks are trading at more attractive valuations, suggesting potential opportunities outside of the largest companies [19][20]