Buffett Cut His Apple Stake In Q2, But He's Still Up A Cool $16 Billion Since Then

Core Insights - Berkshire Hathaway has reduced its stake in Apple by 7% as of the second quarter, continuing a trend of decreasing investment in the tech giant since it was once valued at around 50% of its portfolio [2][4] - Despite the reduction, the value of Berkshire Hathaway's Apple stake has increased significantly, from $49.24 billion at the end of the second quarter to $65.37 billion, reflecting a gain of $16.13 billion [4] - Apple is expected to report record revenue for the upcoming first quarter, with projections indicating a year-over-year growth of 10% to 12%, potentially reaching between $136.73 billion and $139.22 billion [7][6] Berkshire Hathaway's Investment in Apple - As of the end of the second quarter, Berkshire Hathaway owned 280 million shares of Apple, representing approximately 24.2% of its investment portfolio and about 1.9% of Apple's total shares [3] - The stake's value has surged due to Apple's stock price increase, which rose from $205.17 at the end of the second quarter to $272.37 [3][4] - Berkshire Hathaway currently receives $72.8 million in quarterly dividends from Apple, following a recent dividend announcement of 26 cents per share [4] Apple's Financial Performance and Outlook - Apple has consistently exceeded analyst expectations for revenue and earnings per share for 11 consecutive quarters [6] - CEO Tim Cook expressed optimism about the upcoming first quarter, anticipating it to be the best ever for the company and for iPhone sales [6] - Analysts estimate Apple's first-quarter revenue at $132.31 billion, indicating strong market confidence in the company's performance [8]