Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) Meeting Draws Focus as Cash Hits $334B

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, Financials) will hold its annual shareholder meeting and report Q1 2025 earnings Saturday, with markets watching closely for Warren Buffett ( Trades , Portfolio )'s insights amid economic headwinds and shifting U.S. trade policy.

While official Q1 figures are still pending, the company's stock has climbed nearly 19% year to date, strongly outperforming the S&P 500, which is down 4%. Berkshire ended 2024 with a record $334.2 billion in cash.

UBS upgraded its outlook, citing Berkshire as a safe haven in a volatile environment. CFRA, meanwhile, reiterated a hold, pointing to a potential demand dip from a slowing economy and Buffett's age94as key risks. Buffett has named Greg Abel as his successor, though a formal transition has yet to occur.

In Q4 2024, Berkshire opened a new position in Constellation Brands ( STZ , Financials ) and added to SiriusXM ( SIRI , Financials ), Occidental Petroleum ( OXY , Financials ), Domino's Pizza ( DPZ , Financials ), Verisign ( VRSN , Financials ), and Pool Corp. ( POOL , Financials ). It trimmed stakes in Bank of America ( BAC , Financials ), Capital One ( COF , Financials ), and Citigroup ( C , Financials ), and fully exited Ulta Beauty ( ULTA , Financials ).

Buffett has refrained from making further public economic commentary since March, when he told CBS News that tariffs are an act of war and a tax on goods.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus .