Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway crashes amid market turmoil

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A, BRK.B) has not been immune to the latest wave of stock market turbulence. 

The conglomerate’s Class A shares tumbled 6.91% on April 4, to close at $742,540, followed by another 4.38% drop in Monday’s pre-market session to $710,000.

The sharp decline mirrors the broader selloff on Wall Street, as fears mount over a potential tariff-induced recession following President Donald Trump’s Liberation Day announcement.

The market rout, one of the worst since the early days of the COVID-19 crash, has erased over $6 trillion in U.S. equity value in a matter of days. 

On April 4 alone, the S&P 500 plunged 6%, extending its total losses to 17% since its February peak. The tech-heavy Nasdaq and small-cap Russell 2000 have both entered bear market territory, with declines exceeding 20% from recent highs.

Warren Buffet portfolio struggles in Q1 despite bright spots

Yet, despite the steep selloff, Berkshire Hathaway has managed to hold onto year-to-date gains. However, its Q1 performance was not without blemishes. 

According to the company’s latest 13F filing, three of its top five holdings—Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), American Express (NYSE: AXP), and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) which together accounted for 56% of the portfolio, posted negative returns in the first quarter of 2025. 

As of April 7, 2025, Apple had dropped 24.77% to $188.38, American Express declined 21% to $233, and Bank of America slid 21% to $34.

Despite the broader downturn, there were a few bright spots in Berkshire’s portfolio. Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) rose 12% to $69, while VeriSign Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) climbed 16% to $240, helping to partially offset the drag from tech and financial stocks. Still, Berkshire’s top 10 equity holdings ended the quarter down 3.9%.

Even so, the company’s own stock managed to outperform the broader market. Berkshire shares rose nearly 17% during Q1 and, as of the latest update, remain up 9% year-to-date. 

While the past month’s market turmoil has certainly taken a toll, Buffett’s defensive positioning and substantial cash reserves of $334.2 billion, have helped the firm weather the storm better than many of its peers.

In short, Berkshire Hathaway has not escaped the sting of the recent market downturn, but it still finds itself in solid shape heading further into 2025.

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