2 stocks make up over 50% of Warren Buffett’s portfolio. Should I buy them?

Warren Buffett is a legendary investor with countless aphorisms to his name. My favourite is: “Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre.” In that spirit, let’s explore Warren Buffett’s portfolio and see if his top two stock holdings are good long-term buys for me.  

Apple 

According to Berkshire Hathaway‘s (NYSE: BRK-A) SEC filing, Warren Buffett’s largest holding is Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). Via Berkshire, Buffett owns 5.55% of the US tech giant’s total shares — a whopping 43% of his equity portfolio. Buffett began building a stake in Apple in 2016 and in his annual letter to Berkshire shareholders he praised CEO Tim Cook for Apple’s share repurchase strategy. 

One factor behind Buffett’s bullishness is the iPhone maker’s competitive advantage. Apple’s ecosystem is created by establishing market standards, encouraging developers to build apps tailored specifically to Apple smartphones. This produces a virtuous cycle, making Apple products indispensable. 

Nonetheless, Apple supplier Foxconn recently suspended its Shenzhen production due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the region. The Apple share price is still high for me, despite being down almost 14% on a three-month basis. Currently, I’m reluctant to deploy a significant amount of my cash reserves buying Apple in one go.

Indeed, Warren Buffett bought his position at an average cost of a quarter of today’s price. I will be buying steadily over the coming months to capitalise on any further dips in Apple’s share price. 

Bank of America 

At over 13% of Berkshire’s holdings, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is the second-largest constituent of Warren Buffett’s portfolio. The stock’s P/E ratio of 11.63 fits with Buffett’s value investing philosophy. Shareholders also benefit from a handy dividend yield of over 2%.

The Federal Reserve is tipped to hike interest rates in 2022. Bank of America should benefit from these macroeconomic conditions. Moreover, with a total net income of $32m for 2021, the bank is well placed to build on strong fundamentals this financial year. 

The stock currently sits almost 20% below its 52-week high in mid-February. Furthermore, the US economy is flashing recession warning signs. Bank of America shares could face further pain, given the bank services around 67 million consumer and small business clients stateside.

Despite these risks, I see Bank of America’s current share price as an attractive entry point to add this Warren Buffett stock to my portfolio. 

Another way to invest like Warren Buffett 

Perhaps the easiest way to mirror Warren Buffett’s investments is buying Berkshire Hathaway shares. The company’s compounded annual gain of 3,641,613% dwarfs the 30,209% gain for the S&P 500 from 1964 to 2021. For me, Berkshire stock carries some of the diversification benefits of an index fund while providing an opportunity to beat the market. 

Investors may worry about Buffett’s age at 91 while Vice-Chairman, Charlie Munger, is 97. Berkshire Hathaway’s share price performance without the duo at the helm is untested. This doesn’t dissuade me from owning the stock, however. I see the potential for future leadership to emulate Buffett’s investing approach beyond his lifetime. 

Berkshire currently has over $145bn in cash on its balance sheet and insurance is a large part of its business. A useful reminder for me that, with share valuations riding high, cash is king for scooping up bargains in the event of a stock market crash.