<div id="readability-page-1"><p><strong>Berkshire Hathaway</strong> <span>(BRK.A<span> -0.33%</span>)</span><span> (BRK.B<span> -0.11%</span>)</span> will likely report first-quarter 2025 earnings on or around May 2. You might want to buy it before that date even if you have the same question on your mind as everyone else.</p> <p>That question is highly likely to be, &#34;What is CEO Warren Buffett investing in?&#34; And it highlights why Berkshire Hathaway is a buy today and why the company is different from just about every other company you can buy.</p> <h2>Berkshire Hathaway's big move in 2024</h2> <p>Berkshire, which is technically a massive conglomerate, had an interesting year in 2024. The big news was the fact that Buffett and his team spent the year selling far more often than buying within the company's stock portfolio. To put some numbers on that, cash and short-term investments nearly doubled last year.</p> <div><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-b3A9cmVzaXplJnVybD1odHRwczovL2cuZm9vbGNkbi5jb20vZWRpdG9yaWFsL2ltYWdlcy84MTU1NjAvMjVfMDJfMjctYS1jbG9zZS11cC1vZi13YXJyZW4tYnVmZmV0dC1zbWlsaW5nLV9tZi1kbG9hZC1pbWFnZS1zb3VyY2UtbW90bGV5LWZvb2wtYnVmZmV0dDEtdG1mLmpwZyZ3PTcwMA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="700" height="466" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-b3A9cmVzaXplJnVybD1odHRwczovL2cuZm9vbGNkbi5jb20vZWRpdG9yaWFsL2ltYWdlcy84MTU1NjAvMjVfMDJfMjctYS1jbG9zZS11cC1vZi13YXJyZW4tYnVmZmV0dC1zbWlsaW5nLV9tZi1kbG9hZC1pbWFnZS1zb3VyY2UtbW90bGV5LWZvb2wtYnVmZmV0dDEtdG1mLmpwZyZ3PTcwMA"/></p><p>Image source: The Motley Fool.</p> </div> <p>Given that the <strong>S&amp;P 500 </strong>index is in correction territory today (down by more than 10%), that may sound like a prescient move on the part of the man known affectionately as the Oracle of Omaha. While the decision to sell assets was likely related to valuation concerns, Buffett's investment approach doesn't include market timing. So it was likely more of a happy coincidence than anything else. Indeed, Berkshire Hathaway is so large that it has to move slowly and deliberately.</p>  <p>Regardless of how or why Buffett and his team dramatically increased the cash on the company's balance sheet, it is well positioned to weather the market uncertainty. And, more importantly, to step in as a buyer when he believes it has found an attractively priced investment.</p> <p>That could happen within its portfolio of publicly traded companies or within its large collection of fully owned businesses. The first-quarter update will be scoured for indications that Buffett believes it is time to start buying again.</p> <h2>A vastly different kind of company</h2> <p>The fact that investors are likely to be more interested in the investment decisions of Warren Buffett than the performance of the conglomerate that he and his team manage is important. Basically, Berkshire is his investment vehicle.</p> <p>As the chart below highlights, that vehicle has vastly outperformed both the price performance and the total return of the S&amp;P 500 index over time.</p> <p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://media.ycharts.com/charts/3ceb6b367771d14db855cd653addb0ed.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="720" height="490" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://media.ycharts.com/charts/3ceb6b367771d14db855cd653addb0ed.png"/></p> <p>BRK.A data by YChart.</p> <p>Very few investors have achieved this level of success. It makes sense that Wall Street would hang on Buffett's every word and his every investment decision.</p> <p>From an individual investors' point of view, however, when you buy Berkshire Hathaway, you are likely doing so because you want to give Buffett your money so he and his team can invest it for you. That, plus the large and diversified portfolio of companies it owns, make Berkshire much more like a mutual fund than a traditional company.</p>  <p>If you view the company in this manner, then the upcoming earnings release around May 2 is actually kind of meaningless. All it takes is one simple question to prove why: Is there ever a bad time to hire a good money manager?</p> <p>Sure, there will be better and worse times to invest, given the inherent volatility of the stock market. But giving Buffett and his team your cash to invest for you is likely to be a solid choice no matter what is going on in the broader market or in the economy.</p> <h2>Forget about May 2, focus on the real business</h2> <p>In the end, May 2 is just a random date with little to no meaning. Sure, the company will provide an update on its business performance, which may be good or bad. But the real update will be around the investment decisions Buffett and his team are making on behalf of shareholders. That's the real business of Berkshire Hathaway and why now is as good a time as any to buy the stock.</p>                                                                            </div>

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<p>Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) is expected to report its first-quarter 2025 earnings around May 2. Investors are encouraged to buy the stock before this date, as CEO Warren Buffett's investment decisions are of significant interest. In 2024, Berkshire sold more assets than it bought, increasing cash and short-term investments. This strategy positions the company well to navigate market uncertainties and capitalize on attractive investment opportunities. Ultimately, the upcoming earnings release is less important than Buffett's investment approach, making now a favorable time to invest in Berkshire Hathaway.</p>

- Berkshire Hathaway is expected to report its first-quarter 2025 earnings around May 2, prompting interest in CEO Warren Buffett's investment strategies.  
- In 2024, the company sold more assets than it bought, significantly increasing its cash reserves, which positions it well to navigate market uncertainties.  
- The upcoming earnings release is less significant than the investment decisions made by Buffett, reinforcing the view of Berkshire as a vehicle for investors to leverage his expertise.

Here's Why Berkshire Hathaway Stock Is a Buy Before May 2