Berkshire did report some of its latest financials for the quarter ending 30 September 2025 more than two weeks ago. However, this report only told us that Buffett was a net seller of stocks over the quarter. We didn't know exactly which stocks he, or his two investing lieutenants, had actually been buying and selling.

Well, today, that veil has been lifted. Thanks to the company's most recent '13F' filing, we get to have a good look at what's been happening in the Berkshire portfolio.

What has Buffett been buying at Berkshire?

Well, as we've already established, Buffett did a whole lot more selling than buying. Many of Berkshire's top holdings were trimmed. This includes a significant US$10.6 billion sell-down of Apple shares, representing about 15% of Berkshire's position.

Even so, the iPhone-maker remains Berkshire's largest holding, with the company retaining a US$64.9 billion stake. That's roughly 21% of Berkshire's portfolio.

Berkshire also offloaded meaningful chunks of Bank of America, Verisign and D.R. Horton.

Although Buffett, or his underlings, were net sellers of stocks, they were still picking up some shares.

As my Fool colleague Kevin reported earlier today, the most significant new position for Berkshire was in Google-owner Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL). The filing shows that Berkshire initiated its first-ever position in Alphabet over the September quarter. The company recorded a US$4.34 billion position, or just over 17.8 million Class A shares, in Alphabet, as of 30 September.

Who really bought Alphabet stock?

This is a significant development for Berkshire, as Buffett has always shown, and discussed, a reluctance to invest in tech stocks. He famously pined about missing out on Alphabet's success back in 2019, and only initiated a small position in Amazon that same year.

Even the purchase was reportedly initiated by one of Buffett's lieutenants, Todd Combs or Ted Weschler. It's possible, even perhaps likely, that one of those two managers is responsible for the Alphabet purchase. Or perhaps it was a call made by the incoming CEO, Greg Abel. Abel is due to take the reins of Berkshire in January when Buffett sadly is scheduled to step back from the CEO role he has held since the 1960s.

We probably won't find out for a while, if at all.

Some other stocks Berkshire added to over the quarter just gone include Chubb, Domino's Pizza and Sirius XM.

Berkshire's five largest positions remain, in order: Apple, American Express, Bank of America, Coca-Cola and Chevron.

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There's arguably not a money manager on Wall Street that has the ability to command the attention of professional and everyday investors quite like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) CEO Warren Buffett. In his six decades as CEO of Berkshire, he's overseen a cumulative return in his company's Class A shares of more than 5,460,000%, as of the closing bell on January 2.

Mirroring the Oracle of Omaha's trading activity, which can be done using Berkshire Hathaway's quarterly filed Form 13Fs, has been a seemingly surefire investment strategy for decades.

Even though Buffett has been a net seller of stocks to the tune of $166 billion over an eight-quarter stretch (October 1, 2022 through to September 30, 2024), he's still been buying shares of a select group of time-tested businesses.

As we turn the page to 2025, Buffett is betting big on the following five stocks.

Sirius XM Holdings

One of the most interesting stocks that Berkshire's chief can't stop buying of late is satellite-radio operator Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ: SIRI).

Sirius XM completed a merger with Liberty Media's Sirius XM tracking stock following the close of trading on September 9, and also effected a 1-for-10 reverse stock split. Whereas most companies conducting reverse splits do so to avoid delisting from a major stock exchange, Sirius XM was in no danger of delisting. Rather, its split seems solely focused on getting its stock back on the radar of institutional investors who won't purchase stocks trading below $5 per share.

The beauty of Sirius XM's operating model is twofold. First, it's a legal monopoly. There are no other licensed satellite-radio operators, which, more often than not, affords the company strong subscription pricing power.

The other attractive aspect of Sirius XM's operating model is that its primarily subscription driven. Whereas terrestrial and online radio companies rely almost exclusively on advertising revenue to keep the proverbial hamster on its wheel, Sirius XM generated close to 77% of its net sales from subscriptions and roughly 20% from advertising through the first nine months of 2024. The advantage of Sirius XM's approach is that its cash flow remains steadier during periods of economic uncertainty.

Additionally, Sirius XM stock is historically cheap, which is something the value-oriented Oracle of Omaha can appreciate. Amid a historically pricey stock market, Sirius XM is valued at just over 7 times forward-year earnings and its dividend yield is approaching an all-time high of 5%.

Occidental Petroleum

When 2022 began, Berkshire Hathaway held $10 billion worth of Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) preferred stock (yielding 8% annually), but not a single common share of stock. Over the last three years, Buffett and his top advisors, Ted Weschler and Todd Combs, have acquired 264,178,414 common shares of Occidental stock.

Historically, energy stocks haven't accounted for a sizable percentage of the portfolio Buffett oversees at Berkshire. But that's changed, with over $30 billion, combined, currently invested in Chevron and Occidental. It's a pretty clear signal that Buffett and his crew expect the spot price for crude oil to remain elevated.

Perhaps the biggest catalyst for oil is that global energy companies were forced to slash their capital expenditures (capex) for three years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though capex has returned to normal, increasing crude supply isn't going to happen overnight. When the supply of a high-demand commodity is constrained, it usually provides a lift to its spot price.

A higher spot price for crude is particularly impactful for Occidental Petroleum, which generates the lion's share of its revenue from its drilling operations. If the price of crude oil rises, operating cash flow for Occidental will disproportionately benefit, relative to its peers. Just keep in mind that the reciprocal is also true, with Occidental's cash flow being hit harder than other drillers when the spot price of crude declines.

Domino's Pizza

A third phenomenal business that Warren Buffett is betting big on in the new year is one of consumers' most beloved brands, Domino's Pizza (NASDAQ: DPZ). Domino's was the biggest buy made by Buffett and his crew during the September-ended quarter.

One of the business characteristics Domino's possesses that the Oracle of Omaha has previously emphasised the importance of to investors is trust. Roughly 15 years ago, Domino's marketing campaign admitted that its pizza wasn't very good and that it had to do better. Over time, the company's transparent marketing approach, along with process and product innovation, has worked wonders.

Something else that's finding the mark is Domino's five-year "Hungry for MORE" initiative. Introduced by CEO Russell Weiner in December 2023, Hungry for MORE emphasises a reliance on technology to improve output and product consistency, as well as leans on the company's franchisees to enhance the value of its brand.

The international opportunity for Domino's Pizza shouldn't be overlooked, either. The company is on track for its 31st consecutive year of international same-store sales growth. This speaks to its brand value and reliance on product innovation to drive growth.

Chubb

Another stock the Oracle of Omaha very clearly wants to own in 2025 is property and casualty insurance company Chubb (NYSE: CB). Chubb was the stock given "confidential treatment" that Buffett and his team built a sizable position in between July 2023 and March 2024.

What makes insurance stocks so desirable for value investors like Warren Buffett is the stability of their operating model and premium pricing power. When loss events occur, insurers like Chubb have reason to raise premiums. But they can also increase premiums when claim losses are low with the justification that catastrophe events are inevitable.

Chubb also benefits from the niche focus of its homeowner insurance segment. The company predominantly insures higher-value homes, which leads to more lucrative premiums. High earners are less likely than average-earning workers to adjust their spending habits or fail to pay their bills when economic disruptions occur.

Lastly, insurers like Chubb are reaping the rewards of the Federal Reserve undertaking its most aggressive rate-hiking cycle in four decades (from March 2022 through July 2023). Insurers invest their float — the premium collected that hasn't been paid out in claims — in safe, short-term Treasury bills. The higher the yield, the more interest income the company can generate.

Berkshire Hathaway

The fifth magnificent stock Warren Buffett is betting big on for 2025 is none other than shares of his own company, Berkshire Hathaway. Though the September-ended quarter marked the first quarter out of the last 25 that Buffett didn't repurchase Berkshire's shares, he's collectively bought back around $78 billion worth of his company's stock since mid-July 2018.

Since Berkshire Hathaway doesn't pay a dividend, buybacks serve a number of key purposes. For starters, they reward patient investors. A steadily declining share count gradually increases the ownership stake of existing shareholders. In short, it reinforces the long-term investing ethos that Buffett and the late Charlie Munger preached for decades.

Secondly, share repurchases can increase earnings per share (EPS) for companies like Berkshire Hathaway that have steady or growing net income. A 12.6% aggregate decline in Berkshire's outstanding share count since mid-2018 has increased the company's EPS and made it more attractive to fundamentally focused investors.

It could also be argued that ongoing share buybacks reinforce Buffett's belief in the company he's helped build over six decades. What better way to demonstrate to investors a belief that Berkshire is still undervalued than to purchase around $78 billion worth of stock in a little over six years.

Finally, with a record $325.2 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and U.S. Treasuries on Berkshire's balance sheet, the Oracle of Omaha has quite the buffer to repurchase his company's stock.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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Warren Buffett, the longtime head of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B), has delivered an impressive nearly 20% annualised return for shareholders since 1965, doubling the S&P 500's benchmark return. These exceptional results stem from Buffett and his late partner Charlie Munger's business acumen, combined with Berkshire's ability to strategically invest funds generated by its insurance business.

In light of Buffett's stellar track record, let's examine a few of his favourite stocks and whether you should buy and hold them for the long term.

1. Berkshire Hathaway

Let's start with Buffett's favourite business: Berkshire Hathaway, with its Class B shares trading around $475 per share. The conglomerate holding company owns a majority stake in more than 60 businesses, like Dairy Queen and GEICO. Additionally, the company has a portfolio of over 40 stocks totalling $300 billion in value, with its largest stakes in Apple, American Express, and Bank of America.

Berkshire recently reported its third-quarter 2024 earnings, with slight revenue and operating earnings declines compared to Q3 2023. Specifically, Berkshire delivered $93 billion in revenue and $10.1 billion in operating earnings, a drop of 0.2% and 6.2%, respectively.

While those numbers appear uninspiring on the surface, it's important to note that Berkshire's insurance business can be cyclical, which played out to the company's detriment in its recent quarter. Notably, insurance losses reached $15.2 billion, up 10.5% year over year, and underwriting expenses cost the company $4.9 billion, an increase of 41.1% year over year.

The biggest bull case for Berkshire is undoubtedly its $325 billion pile of cash and cash equivalents, making it arguably the company most prepared for a market downturn and a perfect hedge play for individual investors. When that will be is anybody's guess, but as Buffett awaits to deploy Berkshire's cash hoard, the company will earn approximately $14 billion annually at the current 4.5% Treasury bill rate.

2. Chubb Limited

Berkshire also recently purchased a 6.7% stake in Chubb Limited (NYSE: CB). This Switzerland-based company, known for property and casualty insurance, trades for $285 per share and has surged 25% in 2024 following record revenue and operating income.

During Q3 2024, Chubb generated $14.9 billion in revenue and $2.3 billion in operating income, up 14.3 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 7.2% and 14.3%, respectively. Notably, Chubb did have an increase of pre-tax catastrophe losses of $765 million during the quarter, an increase of $95 million, including $250 million attributable to Hurricane Helene.

The company's balance sheet is healthy, with $23.8 billion in net cash, even after it acquired Healthy Paws, a leading pet insurance provider, for an undisclosed price, and increased its controlling stake in Huatai Group, a Chinese-based insurance and financial services company.

Additionally, management consistently returns capital to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Chubb has paid and raised its dividend for 15 consecutive years and currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.91 per share, equating to an annual yield of 1.3%. Also, management has repurchased 10.8% of its outstanding shares over the past five years.

In a recent shareholder letter, Buffett talked about the stockholder benefit of the capital allocation strategy, saying, "The math isn't complicated: When the share count goes down, your interest in our many businesses goes up."

Chubb trades at a hefty price-to-book value of 1.75, which is near the high end of its five-year median. Still, given its record revenue and earnings, robust balance sheet, and shareholder-friendly history, the stock appears deserving of its high valuation.

CB Price to Book Value data by YCharts

3. DaVita

Berkshire owns a 44% stake in the final stock on the list, DaVita (NYSE: DVA), a healthcare company specialising in outpatient kidney dialysis services. Trading at around $164 per share, it has delivered an outstanding 54% return in 2024.

As of Sept. 30, DaVita provided dialysis services to approximately 265,400 patients across 3,113 outpatient centres, 85% of which were located in the United States. In its latest reported quarter, the company achieved record financial results, generating $3.3 billion in revenue and $535 million in operating income.

The company does have some balance sheet concerns, considering it has $8.5 billion in net debt and a market capitalisation of $13.5 billion. That debt is also gradually costing more to service each quarter as interest rates remain elevated, carrying an expense of $134.6 million for Q3 2024, an increase of $37 million from Q2 2024.

Still, with its trailing 12-month free cash flow of $1.4 billion, management could pay it down if it so chooses. Instead, management is aggressively buying back its stock, lowering its shares outstanding by 36% over the past five years, suggesting it believes the company is undervalued at a price-to-free-cash-flow ratio of 10.4.

DVA Shares Outstanding data by YCharts

Finally, DaVita does have long-term growth potential as it is expected to expand into new markets. In fact, earlier this year, it unveiled plans to strengthen its presence in Brazil and Colombia and to establish operations in Chile and Ecuador for the first time.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post The best Warren Buffett stocks to buy with $1,000 right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Today, we have our answer.

United States-listed insurance giant Chubb Ltd (NYSE: CB).

Why did Warren Buffett keep the investment under wraps?

Aged 93, Warren Buffett is still actively managing Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B), though succession processes are in place.

Yesterday, overnight Aussie time, Berkshire's filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed the company had bought some 26 million Chubb shares for roughly US$6.7 billion (AU$10 billion) over the first quarter.

Although the Chubb shares were bought over a period of months, Berkshire had requested its share purchases were kept confidential from prior filings with the SEC.

Why?

Well largely because investors the world over tend to copy Warren Buffett's investments. That can see the share price of companies he's buying rise simply on the news of his interest. And that makes it harder for him to abide by one his golden rules, "Never overpay for anything."

The Oracle of Omaha, after all, started his investing life with almost nothing and is now worth more than US$136 billion (AU$205 billion), according to Forbes.

Indeed, the Chubb share price has soared 8.3% in after-hours trading since the news of Berkshire's investment hit the wires.

"Millions of people follow what Buffett does," David Kass, a finance professor at the University of Maryland said (quoted by Bloomberg). "Warren Buffett would be more sensitive to the issue than others."

And the $10 billion investment in Chubb aligns well with another Buffett investing nugget, "You don't have to be smart, as long as you stick to what you know."

The billionaire is indeed quite familiar with the insurance business, with Berkshire owning a number of insurance companies, including Geico.

"Chubb is an attractive equity investment for Berkshire because it operates in a business Berkshire knows well: property-casualty insurance," Cathy Seifert, a CFRA Research analyst said (quoted by Reuters).

Despite the Chubb investment, Berkshire's cash holdings hit an all-time high of US$189 billion at the end of March.

Are there similar ASX shares to invest in?

Investors looking to mimic Warren Buffett on the ASX will need to look at some smaller companies.

Chubb, a property-casualty insurance business, operates in 54 countries and has a market cap of US$103 billion (AU$154 billion).

With that said, if I were aiming to mimic Warren Buffett today on the ASX, I'd look at buying shares in QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE).

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) insurance company has a market cap of $27 billion and has been a very strong performer in 2024. Year to date, the QBE share price is up 22%.

Atop the potential for further share price gains, the ASX insurance stock trades on a partly franked dividend yield of 3.5%.

Going by these stats, this ASX share ticks at least one box for Warren Buffett.

Namely his mantra that, "The greatest protection against inflation is ownership in a business that goes up in value."

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