Warren Buffett told CNBC’s Squawk Box that he would buy “a whole lot” of Apple shares if the stock ever became cheap enough, but he doesn’t see that opportunity in today’s market. “I will buy them if they’re cheap. I’ll buy a whole lot of them if they’re cheap,” he said, adding, “It’s not impossible that Apple would get to a price. We would buy a lot of it, but not in this market.”
Berkshire Hathaway first bought Apple in Q1 2016, spending roughly $1 billion for about 9.8 million shares. The firm began trimming the position in late 2023, accelerated sales through 2024 and continued reductions into 2025; by mid-2024 the stake had been reduced by nearly half.
Buffett acknowledged he may have sold too early but expressed no regret: “I sold it too soon,” he said. “But I bought it even sooner. I think we’ve made over $100 billion in that pre-tax.” Despite the trims, Apple remains Berkshire’s largest publicly traded equity holding.
He described Apple as a consumer-focused business with enduring competitive advantages and strong management. Buffett noted that while Berkshire owns other valuable businesses—citing a railroad whose market value exceeds the firm’s Apple position—that railroad does not generate the same returns on capital as Apple. He also quipped about Apple’s ubiquity: many people own one and their children likely do, too.
On the recent market pullback, Buffett downplayed the move relative to past downturns when Berkshire’s stock dropped more than 50%, including during the 2007–2008 financial crisis. He said Berkshire will deploy cash when stocks or businesses are attractively priced but that he won’t attempt short-term market timing.
Under CEO Greg Abel, Berkshire is sitting on a large cash and short-term securities pile—roughly $350 billion—and recently purchased $17 billion in Treasury bills in a single week. Buffett’s comments reaffirm that while he remains willing to add to excellent businesses like Apple, he’s waiting for prices he considers compelling.