Key Points
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Over 70% of billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway portfolio is made up of just five stocks.
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These stocks didn’t start out as big allocations; instead, Buffett’s smaller investments grew into big ones over time.
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Legendary investor Warren Buffett is a self-made billionaire. Who wouldn’t want to follow in his footsteps?
Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB) made him a billionaire by investing in (or buying outright) hundreds of other companies over his 60-plus years as CEO of the company (he retired as CEO at the end of 2025 but is still Berkshire’s board chairman). So it might surprise you to learn that over 70% of Berkshire’s stock portfolio is invested in just five stocks.
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Before you try to copy Buffett’s allocation in your own portfolio, you need to know the five stocks … and why they make up such a huge portion of Berkshire’s assets.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
The five stocks
These are Berkshire’s five biggest holdings, according to the company’s most recent SEC filing:
| Company | Industry | Market Value | % of portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) | Tech | $61.9 billion | 22.6% |
| American Express (NYSE: AXP) | Finance | $56.1 billion | 20.5% |
| Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) | Finance | $28.5 billion | 10.4% |
| Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) | Consumer staples | $28 billion | 10.2% |
| Chevron (NYSE: CVX) | Energy | $19.8 billion | 7.2% |
| TOTAL | $194.3 billion | 70.9% |
All figures as of 12/31/2025. Chart by author.
It’s true: 70.9% of Berkshire’s stock portfolio is tied up in these five diversified stocks. But the important thing to realize is that these positions didn’t start as the massive allocations they’ve become.
How to copy Buffett
The reason these five companies have grown to become such a big part of Berkshire’s 42-stock portfolio is that Buffett has held them for a long time. He first bought Coca-Cola stock in 1988. He first invested in American Express in 1963. Berkshire hasn’t bought new shares in either company since the 1990s, but over decades, they’ve grown into major portfolio positions.
Even Berkshire’s largest holding — Apple — is one that the company has held since 2016. That stake would be much larger, but Berkshire has sold off over 75% of its Apple holdings in recent years.
In other words, Buffett made smaller allocations that grew into big ones that now dominate Berkshire’s portfolio.
To copy Buffett, the Motley Fool recommends a diversified portfolio of at least 25 stocks. If you’re lucky, some will be big winners and grow to dominate your portfolio.
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Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. John Bromels has positions in Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, and Coca-Cola. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends American Express, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, and Chevron. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
