Post by @_Investinq
88% credible (94% factual, 77% presentation). The claim of Berkshire Hathaway's 12-quarter stock selling streak totaling $184 billion is accurately supported by Q3 2025 earnings and SEC filings. However, the presentation quality is reduced due to omission framing, as it does not include Warren Buffett's stated reasons for the sales, such as a lack of attractive investment opportunities.
Analysis Summary
Berkshire Hathaway under Warren Buffett has sold stocks net for 12 consecutive quarters, the longest streak in its history, totaling about $184 billion over three years. This marks a shift from buyer to major seller amid market highs. The accompanying chart visually confirms the trend with negative net sales bars dominating recent periods.
Original Content
The Facts
The claims align with Berkshire Hathaway's recent Q3 2025 earnings report, showing net stock sales of $12.5 billion in the quarter and a cumulative $184 billion over three years, confirmed by financial news sources like CNBC and Fortune. The 12-quarter streak is accurate based on SEC filings. Verdict: True
Benefit of the Doubt
The post advances a bearish perspective on market valuations by highlighting Buffett's selling as a signal of caution or overvaluation, using dramatic language like 'Holy Smokes' to engage readers and imply impending market risks. It emphasizes the scale and duration of sales while omitting key context such as Buffett's stated reasons (e.g., lack of attractive investments at current prices) and ongoing holdings like Apple, which shapes perception toward viewing the moves as purely defensive rather than strategic portfolio management. This selective framing amplifies investor anxiety without balanced discussion of Berkshire's record cash pile yielding returns from Treasuries.
Visual Content Analysis
Images included in the original content
VISUAL DESCRIPTION
A horizontal bar chart in blue and light blue tones on a beige background, showing quarterly net stock transactions for Berkshire Hathaway. Early bars (2022-early 2023) are positive (purchases), transitioning to negative (sales) bars from mid-2023 onward, with the recent 12 quarters highlighted in a red box. The largest negative bar appears in 2024/2025, indicating significant sales.
TEXT IN IMAGE
Buffett's Berkshire sells stocks for the 12th consecutive quarter Quarterly net purchases and sales of publicly traded stocks ($bn) [Chart data points: Positive bars in 2022 (around +40bn), small positives/negatives in early 2023, then consistent negatives from mid-2023 to 2025, with a large negative around -60bn in 2024/2025; X-axis: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025; Y-axis: -80 to +40]
MANIPULATION
No signs of editing, inconsistencies, or artifacts; the chart appears to be a standard, unaltered visualization based on consistent scaling and labeling.
TEMPORAL ACCURACY
The chart includes data up to Q3 2025, aligning with the current date of November 2025 and recent earnings releases; no outdated elements visible.
LOCATION ACCURACY
The image is a financial chart with no geographical locations depicted or claimed.
FACT-CHECK
The chart accurately reflects Berkshire Hathaway's reported net stock sales from SEC 13F filings and earnings reports, with the 12-quarter negative streak matching data from sources like CNBC (e.g., $12.5B net sales in Q3 2025); no discrepancies found via reverse image search, which links to similar visualizations in financial media.
How Is This Framed?
Biases, omissions, and misleading presentation techniques detected
Omits Buffett's stated reasons for sales (e.g., lack of attractive investments) and major holdings like Apple, framing actions as purely defensive amid highs.
Problematic phrases:
"Berkshire Hathaway has been unloading stocks for 12 straight quarters""turning from a market buyer into one of the biggest sellers on the planet"What's actually there:
Sales due to high valuations limiting opportunities; $300B+ cash pile earning Treasury yields; retains 50%+ stake in Apple
What's implied:
Panic selling signaling market crash
Impact: Misleads readers to interpret sales as alarm over overvaluation rather than strategic caution, heightening anxiety about market sustainability.
Cherry-picks sales data and streak duration while ignoring net position benefits like cash returns.
Problematic phrases:
"sold off roughly $184 billion worth of equities"What's actually there:
Cumulative sales over 3 years, but offset by $277B cash hoard as of Q3 2025 yielding 5%+ on Treasuries
What's implied:
Massive liquidation without gains elsewhere
Impact: Exaggerates downside by neglecting financial prudence, leading to overstated perception of vulnerability.
Dramatic opener creates false immediacy for a ongoing, multi-year trend.
Problematic phrases:
"Holy Smokes"What's actually there:
Trend spans 3 years, not acute event
What's implied:
Sudden, alarming development
Impact: Triggers quick emotional response, prompting hasty investment decisions without deeper analysis.
Implies sales streak is a direct response to market highs, suggesting causation without evidence.
Problematic phrases:
"turning from a market buyer into one of the biggest sellers on the planet"What's actually there:
Buffett cites deployment challenges in annual letters, not explicit market timing
What's implied:
Selling caused by/ signaling overvalued markets
Impact: Leads readers to infer Buffett anticipates downturn, fostering unwarranted bearish sentiment.
Labels as 'one of the biggest sellers' without comparing to peers or historical norms.
Problematic phrases:
"one of the biggest sellers on the planet"What's actually there:
$184B over 3 years vs. AUM of $1T+; smaller firms sell more proportionally
What's implied:
Unprecedented global scale of divestment
Impact: Inflates perceived magnitude, making Berkshire's actions seem more ominous than contextualized.
Sources & References
External sources consulted for this analysis
https://www.bankrate.com/investing/warren-buffett-stocks-berkshire-hathaway-portfolio-13f-filing/
https://www.cnbc.com/berkshire-hathaway-portfolio/
https://www.kiplinger.com/investing/stocks/warren-buffett-stocks-berkshire-hathaway-portfolio
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/01/berkshire-hathaway-brk-earnings-q3-2025.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/01/berkshire-worries-grow-as-buffetts-ceo-handover-nears.html
https://money.usnews.com/investing/articles/stocks-warren-buffett-just-bought
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkshire_Hathaway
https://www.el-balad.com/6752570
https://financialexpress.com/business/economic-uncertainty-berkshire-hathaway-lets-cash-swell-to-a-record-381-7-billion-4028964
https://fortune.com/2025/11/01/warren-buffett-stocks-net-selling-berkshire-hathaway-q3-earnings-investment-portfolio-cash/
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/berkshire-cash-sets-record-as-profit-rises-signaling-caution-ahead-of-warren-buffett-exit/articleshow/125021442.cms
https://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-q3-earnings-stocks-cash-ceo-retirement-2025-11
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/warren-buffetts-berkshire-hathaway-cash-pile-hits-record-381-7-billion-the-biggest-corporate-war-chest-in-u-s-history-sparks-investor-debate-on-whats-next/articleshow/125021781.cms
https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20251101182/buffett-keeps-selling-stocks-and-more-takeaways-from-berkshire-hathaway-earnings
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1964676185989816377
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1954960956158579094
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1970599744943857974
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1952813104489705776
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1978240195871789254
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1953177933935247374
https://fortune.com/2025/11/01/warren-buffett-stocks-net-selling-berkshire-hathaway-q3-earnings-investment-portfolio-cash/
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/01/berkshire-hathaway-brk-earnings-q3-2025.html
https://www.cnbc.com/berkshire-hathaway-portfolio/
https://www.kiplinger.com/stocks-warren-buffett-is-buying-and-selling-berkshire-hathaway
https://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-q3-earnings-stocks-cash-ceo-retirement-2025-11
https://stockcircle.com/portfolio/warren-buffett
https://www.dataroma.com/m/holdings.php?m=BRK
https://el-balad.com/6752570
https://fortune.com/2025/11/01/warren-buffett-stocks-net-selling-berkshire-hathaway-q3-earnings-investment-portfolio-cash/
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/warren-buffetts-berkshire-hathaway-cash-pile-hits-record-381-7-billion-the-biggest-corporate-war-chest-in-u-s-history-sparks-investor-debate-on-whats-next/articleshow/125021781.cms
https://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-q3-earnings-stocks-cash-ceo-retirement-2025-11
https://el-balad.com/6752612
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-01/buffett-s-berkshire-hathaway-cash-pile-soars-to-381-7-billion
https://reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/berkshire-profit-rises-cash-soars-record-2025-11-01
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1964676185989816377
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1954960956158579094
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1978240195871789254
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1970599744943857974
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1961913189714571556
https://x.com/_Investinq/status/1981208202499731742
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