Buffett Ditches Banks, Burry Bets on Beauty: Secrets of the 13F Filings

The latest 13F filings have dropped, and the moves from Berkshire Hathaway and Michael Burry are turning heads. Warren Buffett’s trimming his bank exposure like it’s out of fashion, while Burry, the oracle of market meltdowns, has slashed his portfolio to a single stock. What’s behind these bold plays? Let’s break it down and uncover the insights.

What’s a 13F Filing?

These quarterly SEC reports are a goldmine, showing what institutional giants managing over $100 million are buying and selling. Today, we’re spotlighting Berkshire Hathaway and Michael Burry—two names that move markets.

Berkshire’s Portfolio Shake-Up

Buffett’s been busy with the pruning shears in Q1 2025. Here’s what Berkshire’s up to:

Full Exits: Citigroup: Out completely. Nu Holdings: The Brazilian digital bank is gone too.
Trimmed Stakes: Bank of America: Slightly reduced. Capital One Financial: Scaled back a notch.
Boosted Bets: Constellation Brands (STZ): More shares of the booze giant. VeriSign: Upping its stake in internet infrastructure. Pool Corp: Diving deeper into pool supplies.

Banks are out, and beer, bytes, and backyards are in. What’s Buffett signaling?

Michael Burry’s One-Stock Stand

Michael Burry, the guy who’s called 20 of the last 2 market crashes, has gone extreme. He’s dumped his entire stock portfolio—except for Estee Lauder. That’s right, the beauty brand is his lone survivor. Is this a genius move or a skincare obsession?

Decoding Buffett’s Moves

The Bank Pullback

Berkshire’s retreat from banks is striking. Exiting Citigroup and Nu Holdings entirely could point to trouble in the financial sector. Rising interest rates might be squeezing margins, or loan defaults could be ticking up. Nu Holdings, operating in Brazil’s volatile market, might face extra risks—think economic instability or regulatory hurdles.

The lighter trims in Bank of America and Capital One suggest caution, not panic. Buffett’s long been a bank bull, so this might be a short-term pivot rather than a total breakup.

New Favorites

Constellation Brands: Alcohol’s a steady eddy—people drink no matter the economy. Maybe STZ’s brands (like Corona) are crushing it.
VeriSign: The internet’s backbone keeps growing—domain registrations could be soaring.
Pool Corp: Homeowners splashing out on pools? Leisure spending might be hot.

This shift looks like Berkshire’s dodging financial storm clouds and chasing sunnier sectors.

What’s Burry Up To?

Burry holding only Estee Lauder is wild. Beauty products might seem random, but there’s logic here. In tough times, people skip big purchases but still splurge on small luxuries—cue the “lipstick effect.” Estee Lauder’s global reach and premium branding could make it a safe harbor if Burry’s sniffing out a downturn. With his track record, this might be a warning flare.

The Numbers Tell a Story

Here’s how the stocks Berkshire touched stacked up in Q1 2025:

$Citigroup(C)$ $Nu Holdings Ltd.(NU)$ $Bank of America(BAC)$ $Capital One(COF)$ $VeriSign(VRSN)$

Buffett’s dumping the laggards and riding the winners. Coincidence? Doubt it.

Charting the Action

Red bars are exits, blue are trims, green are boosts. The trend’s clear.

Big Picture Insights

Buffett’s Play: Ditching banks might mean he’s bracing for financial turbulence. His new picks suggest faith in consumer resilience and tech growth. Diversification’s the name of the game.
Burry’s Gamble: All-in on Estee Lauder screams defense. If he’s right, a market dip’s looming, and beauty’s his bunker.
Your Move: Watch the banks—any cracks could spread. Meanwhile, consumer staples and niche growth sectors might be worth a look.

Final Take

Buffett’s banking exodus and Burry’s beauty bet are more than quirky trades—they’re clues. Berkshire’s playing it safe yet bold, while Burry’s sounding an alarm with lipstick in hand. What do you think—time to rethink your portfolio or just enjoy the show? Let’s hear it!

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13F: Any Insights From Institutional Moves?

Major institutions have been submitting their 13F filings to SEC, disclosing their U.S. stock holdings and positions for the second quarter. Warren Buffett took a $1.57 billion heavyweight position in a healthcare giant and continued trimming Apple; Hillhouse’s fund maintained heavy positions in Chinese concept stocks; Goldman Sachs made big bets on tech stocks, heavily holding Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta; while BlackRock’s top favorites remained the U.S. “Magnificent Seven.” ---------- Any insights from 13F? Will you follow institutions?

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