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Russian (RU) David Jagielski, The Motley Fool
Thu, May 15, 2025, 6:30 AM 5 min read
In This Article:
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The famed investor isn't a fan of tariffs, but he also isn't overly worried about them.
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At Berkshire's recent shareholder meeting, he downplayed the recent market volatility.
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Buffett remains bullish on the U.S. economy in the long run -- a view he's long held.
Warren Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway, (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B), recently held its annual shareholder meeting. And as usual, it provided investors with many words of wisdom and insights. It also offered a glimpse into what the billionaire investor is thinking about the markets right now.
Berkshire's cash balance has been growing over the past year, leading many investors to assume that Buffett may be hesitant and worried about where the market is headed. But is that really the case? Here's a look at what he said during Berkshire's shareholder meeting, and what it might mean for investors.
Buffett isn't a fan of tariffs; after all, they can impede the economy's performance. He said that they "can be an act of war," which are strong words from the billionaire who has been invested in the market amid several wars. At Berkshire's shareholder conference, he did, however, downplay much of recent sell-off in the markets, saying that "What has happened in the last 30, 45 days ... is really nothing."
Buffett has seen much more volatility over the years. But the recent market activity wasn't inconsequential for investors; the Nasdaq Composite briefly entered bear market territory, while the S&P 500 wasn't far from it. It has been a turbulent start to the year for the market.
But his overarching theme wasn't surprising. He once again reiterated his belief in the U.S. economy over the long haul. "We've gone through great recessions, we've gone through world wars, we've gone through the development of an atomic bomb that we never dreamt of at the time I was born, so I would not get discouraged about the fact that it doesn't look like we've solved every problem that's come along."
Buffett's words remind investors of just how much uncertainty there can be in the markets, especially when looking at the long term. While tariffs may look terribly concerning today, in the grand scheme of things, they may not end up having a much larger effect on your portfolio over the years than other economic events. Staying the course, like Buffett, is what's important.
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