Warren Buffett three buy-and-hold stocks

The Motley Fool published a May 21 commentary tying Warren Buffett’s long-running Berkshire Hathaway positions to a fresh list of “buy and hold forever” stocks. The three names it highlighted were Apple, American Express and Coca-Cola, which also rank as Berkshire Hathaway’s three largest disclosed U.S. equity holdings in the conglomerate’s latest 13F filing. Berkshire’s filing for the quarter ended March 31 was submitted on May 15 and showed Apple, American Express and Coca-Cola ahead of Bank of America and Chevron. The filing put Apple at about $57.8 billion, or 22% of Berkshire’s disclosed U.S. stock portfolio, American Express at about $45.9 billion, or 17%, and Coca-Cola at about $30.4 billion, or 12%. Berkshire’s 2025 annual report separately described a “large portion” of its portfolio as concentrated in a small number of American companies including Apple, American Express, Coca-Cola and Moody’s. (13f.info) ### Why do these three names stand out inside Berkshire’s portfolio? Berkshire Hathaway’s March 31 filing showed a large gap between its top three holdings and the rest of the portfolio. Bank of America, the fourth-largest disclosed position, accounted for 9.5% of the portfolio, while Chevron was 6.6%, according to the filing summary. The Motley Fool’s framing rests on a familiar Buffett template: large, established companies with durable brands, recurring cash generation and long holding periods. (13f.info) Berkshire’s own annual report used similar language about businesses it “understand[s] well,” whose leaders it holds in “high regard,” and that it expects “will compound over decades.” ### What is the case for Apple now? (13f.info) Apple remained Berkshire’s biggest disclosed U.S. equity holding at the end of the first quarter even after earlier reductions from prior peaks. Apple’s 2025 annual report says the company had 14.78 billion shares outstanding as of Oct. 17, 2025, underscoring its scale and liquidity for large institutional holders. Apple’s investor relations site said this week that the company had already reported fiscal second-quarter 2026 results for the period ended March 28, 2026, giving investors a current operating update beyond Berkshire’s March 31 portfolio snapshot. (berkshirehathaway.com) The Motley Fool article pointed to Apple’s balance sheet and entrenched ecosystem as part of the long-term case. ### Why does American Express keep showing up in Buffett discussions? (13f.info) American Express finished March 31 as Berkshire’s second-largest disclosed U.S. stock position at 17% of the portfolio. The company’s 2025 annual report said it delivered $7.6 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks and announced an approximately 16% increase to its quarterly common-stock dividend starting with the first-quarter 2026 declaration. (investor.apple.com) American Express also said in that annual report that 2025 revenue reached a record $72 billion. That combination of scale, shareholder payouts and brand strength matches the kind of business characteristics often cited in Buffett-oriented buy-and-hold commentary. ### Why is Coca-Cola still part of the conversation decades later? Coca-Cola ranked third in Berkshire’s March 31 filing at 12% of the disclosed portfolio, with 400 million shares listed in the position summary. (13f.info) Berkshire has held Coca-Cola for decades, making it one of Buffett’s most closely watched legacy investments. Berkshire’s annual report again named Coca-Cola among the American companies it expects to “compound over decades,” and the Motley Fool piece pointed to the company’s dividend record and global brand moat in making its case. (sec.gov) ### What should investors watch next? May 15 is the key date for the current Berkshire snapshot because that is when the company’s latest 13F was filed for holdings as of March 31. (13f.info) The next required 13F update for Berkshire’s U.S. equity portfolio will come after the June 30 quarter-end, typically by mid-August, and will show whether Apple, American Express and Coca-Cola remain the top three disclosed positions. (berkshirehathaway.com)