Buffett Cuts Apple Stake to $65.1B as Company Foresees 10%-12% Q1 Growth
Berkshire reduced its Apple stake to $65.1 billion (21% of its portfolio) after liquidating over half of its position in the past two years. Apple guided fiscal Q1 revenue growth of 10%-12% with double-digit iPhone and services gains (75.3% services margin), indicating stronger momentum for fiscal 2026.
1. Buffett’s Strategic Apple Reduction Explained
Over the past two years, Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO has sold more than half of its Apple position, reducing the stake from over 50% of the portfolio to roughly 21%. The remaining holding is valued at $65.127 billion, while total stock market positions stand at $309.65 billion. Concurrently, cash and equivalents have swelled to $381.7 billion (57% of the portfolio excluding rail cash and T-bills). This shift reflects a century-old Graham principle of a dynamic 75/25 stocks-to-bonds allocation, with allocations trimmed as valuations rise and redeployed into fixed-income instruments.
2. Upcoming Siri Overhaul and AI Multiple Potential
Apple’s share price has retracted nearly 5% over December but still trades at approximately 33 times forward earnings, reflecting premium expectations. Investors are eyeing the Spring 2026 Siri update as a potential inflection point: analysts suggest a ‘10-out-of-10’ launch could trigger an AI multiple re-rating and drive an upgrade cycle. One bullish forecast pegs a price target implying a 28% upside if Apple’s personalized, on-device AI convinces users to consolidate apps around its ecosystem.
3. Fiscal Momentum Fueled by iPhone and Services
In fiscal Q4, Apple reported revenue of $102.5 billion, up 8% year-over-year, driven by double-digit iPhone growth and a 15% increase in services. The guidance for Q1 anticipates 10–12% revenue growth with another double-digit rise in iPhone sales. Services gross margin reached 75.3%, more than double the 36.2% margin in products, underscoring the segment’s high-margin recurring revenues. With an active device base expanding and AI-enabled features on the horizon, Apple is positioned to leverage its ecosystem for sustained top-line acceleration.