What Legends Buy: Warren Buffett's 6 recent picks have made him richer by $503M in just 16 weeks
When Berkshire Hathaway, owned by Warren Buffett, disclosed six new stock purchases totaling about $3.6 billion in its second-quarter 2025 filing, it made headlines. These calculated additions show Buffett’s faith in cheap opportunities in the face of market uncertainty, even though the company has been a net seller for the eleventh consecutive quarter.
Buffett made the acquisitions in order to position Berkshire for Greg Abel to succeed him as CEO when Buffett retires at the end of the year. Buffett will continue to serve as chairman, though, and these last actions as CEO show his unwavering dedication to value investing.
| Company | Shares Purchased | Purchase Value (June 30, 2025) | Price on June 30, 2025 | Current Price (Oct 21-22, 2025) | Current Market Value | Gain/Loss | Return (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealth Group (UNH) | 5,039,564 | $1.57 billion | $311.50 | $365.37 | $1.84 billion | +$270 million | +17.3% |
| Nucor (NUE) | 6,614,112 | $857 million | $129.54 | $136.61 | $903 million | +$46 million | +5.5% |
| Lennar (LEN) | 7,048,993 | $780 million | $110.63 | $128.24 | $904 million | +$124 million | +15.9% |
| D.R. Horton (DHI) | 1,485,350 | $191 million | $128.60 | $153.69 | $228 million | +$37 million | +19.5% |
| Lamar Advertising (LAMR) | 1,169,507 | $142 million | $121.45 | $120.10 | $140 million | -$2 million | -1.1% |
| Allegion (ALLE) | 780,133 | $112 million | $144.12 | $179.55 | $140 million | +$28 million | +24.6% |
The largest position, UnitedHealth Group, exemplifies Buffett’s contrarian approach. The health insurance giant had plummeted nearly 50% due to regulatory scrutiny and management turmoil before Berkshire’s $1.57 billion investment. The stock has since surged 17.3%, validating Buffett’s bet on a fundamentally strong business trading at distressed prices.
Berkshire’s dual homebuilder investments in Lennar and D.R. Horton reflect anticipation of Federal Reserve rate cuts. Despite sluggish housing markets and elevated mortgage rates, these financially sound builders traded at attractive valuations. D.R. Horton has delivered the strongest performance with 19.5% gains, while Lennar rose 15.9%.
The surprise star performer is Allegion, the security products manufacturer, which has rocketed 24.6% to become the top gainer. Meanwhile, steel producer Nucor gained 5.5%, benefiting from domestic manufacturing support.
Only Lamar Advertising shows a marginal 1.1% loss, though it provides the steady cash flow generation Buffett typically favors.
Total Portfolio Performance
The initial $3.63 billion investment has grown to approximately $4.14 billion, generating total gains of $503 million or 13.9% in less than four months. With five of six positions profitable, this portfolio demonstrates Berkshire’s disciplined value investing approach even as the conglomerate sits on $344 billion in cash reserves.