Quick Read
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Buffett sold over $24B in stocks during the first nine months of the year including $10.6B in Apple.
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He reduced his Bank of America stake by $1.92B in Q3 but still holds $29.3B worth of shares.
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Buffett sold $1.2B of VeriSign to keep his ownership below 10% and avoid regulatory obligations.
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Investors began to notice that Warren Buffett began being more conservative with the stock market three years ago, and that streak has continued even as the S&P 500 hit new peaks and beyond. He sold Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), VeriSign (NASDAQ:VRSN), DaVita (NYSE:DVA), D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI), and Nucor (NYSE:NUE) as of Q3 2025. In the first 9 months of this year alone, he sold over $24 billion worth of stocks.
Buffett did not offer an in-depth explanation for selling these stocks and largely missed out on the broader AI rally. He said that he does not see many opportunities in the market right now.
In other words, he believes the market is overvalued and is okay waiting until it cools off. He can then pounce and buy more on the cheap. Buffett is also due to retire as CEO at the end of this month. Greg Abel will assume his role, and some believe Buffett is building up a cash pile for Abel.
Anyhow, let’s take a look at the 6 stocks he dumped in Q3 2025, along with Buffett’s likely motives for doing so.
Apple (AAPL)
Berkshire Hathaway has been aggressively trimming its AAPL position since Q4 2023. With the exception of Q4 2024 and Q1 2025, Berkshire has sold AAPL shares every single quarter since then.
Buffett only had positive things to say about Apple and its CEO, so the issue is unlikely to be Apple itself. It is more likely that he sees the broader market as overvalued and is taking profits.
Buffett is sticking to his principle of reducing equity exposure whenever he feels the stock market is overheated. Apple happens to be his largest holding, so it only makes sense that he takes profits here.
In Q3, he sold $10.6 billion worth of AAPL stock.
Bank of America (BAC)
Bank of America is another company Warren Buffett has had a long history with. He saved the bank in 2011 with a $5 billion investment as the ripple effects of 2008 weakened it. Back then, he made comments about how he liked the profit-generating abilities of the franchise and wanted to hold that investment for the long term.
He has stayed true to that commitment, but his BAC holdings have swelled to the point where it makes sense to start taking profits.
He has been selling every single quarter since Q3 2024.
He sold $1.92 billion worth of BAC stock in Q3 2025, though his holdings are still worth $29.3 billion.
VeriSign (VRSN)
VeriSign is an internet infrastructure business. It has been one of Buffett’s most profitable investments. He started loading up aggressively in late 2012 through mid-2014. Back then, VRSN traded ~$40 per share.
He made another timely buy in Q4 2024, where the average closing price was ~$200.
The stock ballooned to $266.93, and he almost timed the top by selling $1.2 billion worth of it. This was to keep his ownership below 10%. If his ownership crossed that threshold, it would involve Berkshire with regulatory obligations.
DaVita (DVA)
Buffett has a long history with this kidney disease treatment company, but he hasn’t added to it since Q4 2014. Shares have been slowly climbing in the past decade, but have lagged the broader market.
Recent performance has been quite good, and Buffett has been taking profits since the start of this year.
He sold $217 million worth of DVA stock in Q3 2025.
D.R. Horton (DHI)
D.R. Horton is America’s largest homebuilder. DHR stock makes sense as interest rates are coming down, with many believing homebuilding is set to pick up speed significantly.
Buffett, however, ran for the exits. He bought in Q3 2023, and homebuilding stocks went on to do quite well until late 2024. They’ve been quite slow since, and even rate cuts haven’t spurred a considerable rally.
He sold $199 million worth of DHI stock in Q3 2025. Again, the sale was timely, with the stock sliding down since. Buffett no longer has any DHI shares in his portfolio.
Nucor (NUE)
Nucor is a steel producer and recycler. NUE stock has been one of the most interesting names in the past, with sudden, sharp rallies as American steel companies were put under the spotlight multiple times in the past few years.
Booming steel prices drove NUE stock to record highs in 2021. Buffett was uninvolved back then, but bought in Q1 2025 and Q2 2025 as the rally cooled. The stock then reversed course, and Buffett is now starting to take profits.
He sold 3.1% of his stake in NUE, worth ~$29 million.
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