If any investor has stood the test of time, it is Warren Buffett, and with good reason. For 60 years, the Oracle of Omaha has had a rock-star-like presence in the investing world, and his annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting draws thousands of loyal fans who are investors. They were stunned at this year’s meeting when Buffett announced that he would be stepping down as CEO of the investment giant at the end of the year. While he will remain board chair and continue to have a voice in the day-to-day operations, his pre-announced successor, Greg Abel, will assume the chief executive position at the end of the year.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B) reported better-than-expected results for the third quarter, thanks to some outstanding performance from the insurance companies in the portfolio. The company’s Q3 2025 earnings increased to nearly $30.8 billion, a substantial rise driven by improved operating profits and higher investment gains. The company’s cash reserves increased to a record $382 billion, while Buffett continued to be a net seller of stocks, with sales totaling $12.5 billion compared to $6.4 billion in purchases. The company beat estimates, with a massive 34% year-over-year increase in operating earnings to $13.485 billion. This was primarily driven by a surge in insurance underwriting income, which grew by over 200%.
Once again, no Berkshire Hathaway stock was repurchased, and Buffett remained a net seller of stocks in the third quarter by parting with approximately $12.5 billion of stock and buying about $6.4 billion. This marks the 12th consecutive quarter of net selling, contributing to a record cash pile of $382 billion. Despite the strong earnings performance for the third quarter, Berkshire Hathaway is underperforming the S&P 500 by a significant margin in 2025, gaining just 5.5% compared to an almost 16% gain for the venerable index.
One thing is sure: despite the net-seller status Berkshire Hathaway has maintained for the past three years, there are two stocks that Buffett or Abel will never sell. Both are dividend-paying giants that have been part of the portfolios for decades.
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Few investors have the results and reputation that Buffett has garnered over the past 50 years. While investing has evolved over the past half-century, buying good companies with products and services recognized worldwide, while paying dividends, will always remain a timeless approach. Here are the two stocks that Buffett has never sold a share of and likely will stay in his portfolio long after he’s gone.
American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) is an American bank holding company and multinational financial services corporation specializing in payment cards. This stock has performed strongly in 2025, offering a dividend yield of 0.92%. American Express is a globally integrated payments company that operates in card-issuing, merchant-acquiring, and card-network businesses, and has been part of the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio since 1991.
The financial giant posted earnings per share of $4.14, exceeding analyst expectations of $3.99, representing a 19% year-over-year increase. Revenue grew 11% to $18.43 billion, surpassing the forecast of $18.05 billion, as net income increased 16% to $2.9 billion compared to last year.
The company offers products and services to customers worldwide, including consumers, small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large corporations.
Its segments include:
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS), which offers travel and lifestyle services, as well as banking and non-card financing products.
International Card Services (ICS) provides services to international customers, including travel and lifestyle services, and manages certain international joint ventures and its loyalty coalition business.
Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS) operates a payments network that processes and settles card transactions, acquires merchants, and provides multichannel marketing programs, capabilities, services, and data analytics.
Berkshire Hathaway owns 151,610,700 shares, which is 21.6 % of American Express’s float, and 15.5% of the portfolio.
Wells Fargo has an Overweight rating with a $400 price objective.
Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. This stock remains a top long-time holding of Buffett, who owns a massive 400 million shares. That makes up almost 9% of the portfolio, and shares are up a solid 11.4% in 2025.
The world’s largest beverage company offers consumers more than 500 sparkling and still brands. The company reported strong third-quarter 2025 earnings, which beat analyst expectations for earnings per share (EPS) but fell slightly short of revenue expectations.
Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, the company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands, including:
Diet Coke
Coca-Cola Light
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
Caffeine-free Diet Coke
Cherry Coke
Fanta Orange
Fanta Zero Orange
Fanta Zero Sugar
Fanta Apple
Sprite
Sprite Zero Sugar
Simply Orange
Simply Apple
Simply Grapefruit
Fresca
Schweppes
Dasani
Fuze Tea
Glacéau Smartwater
Glacéau Vitaminwater
Gold Peak
Ice Dew
Powerade
Topo Chico
Minute Maid
Globally, it is the top provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, juices, and juice drinks.
Through the world’s most extensive beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the company’s beverages at a rate of over 1.9 billion servings per day. It’s also important to remember that the company owns 16% of Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: MNST), which continues to deliver strong financial results.
Piper Sandler has an Overweight rating and a target price of $81.
Analyst Report: ManpowerGroup finance.yahoo.com #Analyst #Report #ManpowerGroup Related reading:Should You Buy Lemonade Stock Before Feb. 19?I’m almost 65 and live…
