©Matthew Cavanaugh/EPA/Shutterstock
Commitment to our readers
The GOBankingRates editorial team is committed to providing you with unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methods to evaluate financial products and services – our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our review methodology for products and services.
20 years
help you get rich
trusted by
millions of readers
While Warren Buffett will retire from his position as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of 2025, he remains chairman of the board – and one of the most influential and famous investors of all time.
When it comes to Buffett’s stock selection, which is by and large conducted with uncanny foresight (earning him the nickname “The Oracle of Omaha”), some people stand out as particularly prescient. Here’s a list of the best stock buys from the former Berkshire CEO.
Berkshire made a mint on Apple stock, but it may have sold out too early
Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway purchased approximately 1 billion shares of tech giant Apple between 2016 and 2018 at an average price of ~$35 per share. After unloading another bundle in 2023, selling most of its shares in the second quarter of 2024, the multinational holding company could have a pretax profit of about $90 billion in 2024, with an additional $6 billion in 2025.
However, with Apple’s stock price set to reach an all-time high at the end of 2025, more than $50 billion in additional profits was left on the table.
Coca-Cola has been a longtime winner for Buffett & Co.
Historically Buffett’s favorite stock pick, Coca-Cola has paid massive dividends (literally and figuratively) for Berkshire Hathaway. Starting in 1988, and investing ~$1.3 billion by the early 1990s, Buffett’s Berkshire owned (and has) approximately 400 million shares of the world-famous food and beverage company.
Dividends are expected to total a massive $816 million per year by mid-2025, and the stock holdings themselves are valued at $31.47 billion. Not a bad return on investment!
China’s BYD cuts early EV play short
The Oracle of Omaha was probably on to something because nearly 20 years ago, in 2008, Berkshire Hathaway dropped about $230 million into a 10% stake in Chinese EV automaker BYD.
The selloff began in earnest in 2022, as BYD stock reached its peak valuation that summer. And although Berkshire made a massive return of more than 20 times its initial purchase after scaling back its position, it exited its position completely as 2025 approached.
Other very profitable Warren Buffett stock purchases include:
- American Express: $300 million was invested in 1991, more than 81 times this amount if viewed as reinvested dividends. The value increased more than 40 times from share appreciation alone.
- GEICO: Now a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway after the initial purchase of a significant stake, this insurance business has returned many times its initial investment, while it remains a strong contender in its market.
