Buffett’s Best Bets: A New Yorker’s Take

Hey, listen up! You wanna make some cash, right? Well, there aren’t many chances left to ride the coattails of the financial wizard himself, Warren Buffett. With the Oracle of Omaha stepping back from his CEO role at Berkshire Hathaway, his stock-picking days are numbered. But don’t sweat it. The gems in his portfolio are still very much his selections. Let’s dive into some of these top picks and see how you can benefit.

Amazon

Technology isn’t traditionally Buffett’s playground. He’s famously said tech stocks are too complicated, but then there’s Amazon. Ever hear of it? Yeah, thought so. It’s got a small spot in his conglomerate’s lineup, holding 10 million shares valued at about $2.4 billion. Not bad for a company that’s a household name.

Amazon’s Dominance

Prime Members in the U.S.: 200 million+
Total Customers Worldwide: 300 million+
2024 Sales: $530 billion
Today’s Price Change: (-0.60%) $-1.46
Current Price: $243.22

Market Highlights

Key Data Points	Value
Market Cap	$2.6T
Day’s Range	$241.53 – $247.77
52wk Range	$161.38 – $258.60
Volume	1.6M
Avg Vol	45M
Gross Margin	50.05%

E-commerce might be its bread and butter, but the real money-slinger is cloud computing, making up about 60% of its profits. Revenue from this segment is up 18% year over year. You can’t ignore Amazon’s potential despite its stock price staying flat since early 2025. Trust me, a rebound’s on the horizon.

Constellation Brands

Booze might be slowing down in the U.S., but for Berkshire, Constellation Brands is still a hot choice. Remember Corona and Modelo? Their parent company saw investment from Buffett even as sales declined last year.

Betting on Booze

Gallup Poll Insight: Alcohol consumption at a multi-decade low.
Jefferies Survey: Indicating money, not health, drives cutbacks.
Molson Coors CEO’s Thoughts: Viewing softness as cyclical.

The cutbacks aren’t permanent. Once the economy balances out, people are likely to reach for those premium drinks from the likes of Constellation. Consider this an investment in the good times.

Occidental Petroleum

Now let’s talk about Occidental Petroleum. If you’ve got $3,000 burning a hole in your pocket, this might just be one of the better bets. In terms of Berkshire’s portfolio, it’s up there with the big guns.

The Oil Game

Berkshire’s Stake: 264.9 million shares worth nearly $12 billion.
Percentage of Occidental: 27%

Market Highlights

Key Data Points	Value
Market Cap	$40B
Day’s Range	$44.39 – $45.17
52wk Range	$34.78 – $52.58
Volume	9.8M
Avg Vol	9.9M
Gross Margin	33.46%
Dividend Yield	2.15%

Fossil fuels are here to stay for a while. The International Energy Agency doesn’t see a “peak oil” scenario until 2050. There’s still money to be made before we’re fully renewable. Buffett obviously sees something special here, teeing up Occidental for a potential comeback.

In true New Yorker fashion, don’t miss out on these. As they say, opportunity seldom rises twice. Take Buffett’s blueprint and make it work for you. Happy investing!