Warren Buffett Continues Apple Share Sell-Off Amid Record Earnings

The investment landscape is watching closely as Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway appears to be continuing its strategic reduction of Apple holdings. For the fourth consecutive quarter, evidence suggests the legendary investor has been trimming his position in the technology giant, even as Apple posts impressive financial results and maintains its dividend payments.

Apple demonstrated robust financial health in its late October earnings report for the fourth quarter of 2025. Revenue climbed 8% to reach $102.5 billion, while earnings per share of $1.85 comfortably exceeded market expectations. The company's services division—encompassing App Store, iCloud, and Apple Music—proved particularly strong, achieving a record $28.75 billion in revenue with 15% year-over-year growth.

CEO Tim Cook expressed significant optimism about the upcoming holiday quarter, forecasting revenue growth between 10% and 12%. He noted that customer response to the new iPhone-17 series has been "exceptionally positive" and suggested the company might be heading toward its best quarterly performance in history.

Simultaneously, Apple will distribute its quarterly dividend of $0.26 per share on November 13 to shareholders of record as of November 10.

Berkshire's Changing Position

While Apple's operational performance remains strong, multiple indicators from Berkshire Hathaway's quarterly filing suggest continued divestment. Analysts point to several key data points that imply further sales occurred during the third quarter:

Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Apple?

• Realized gains from stock sales totaled $8.2 billion
• The cost basis for consumer goods stocks declined from $13.4 billion to $12.2 billion
• Apple's low acquisition cost means even modest sales generate substantial gains

Since 2023, Buffett has liquidated approximately two-thirds of his original Apple stake, reducing it from a peak of 40% of Berkshire's portfolio to the current level around 24%. Despite this reduction, Apple remains the single largest holding within Berkshire's $312 billion equity portfolio.

Analyzing the Motivation

Market experts continue to speculate about Buffett's rationale for the persistent selling. Potential explanations include concerns about extended valuations, strategic tax planning, or simply rebalancing a highly concentrated investment portfolio. Current trading levels notably exceed Morningstar's fair value estimate of $240 per share, with their analysts categorizing the stock as "moderately overvalued."

Other market observers maintain a more positive outlook. GF Securities raised its price target to $308 in early November, while DZ Bank increased its target to $300. Both firms reference Apple's dominant market position, highly profitable services business, and successful iPhone-17 launch as reasons for continued confidence.

The mandatory 13F filing due by November 14 will provide definitive clarity on Berkshire's trading activity. This disclosure will reveal the exact scale of the position reduction and whether one of Wall Street's most celebrated investment relationships is undergoing a fundamental transformation.