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2 Warren Buffett Stocks to Buy Hand Over Fist This Month, and 1 to Avoid

newsfeedback@fool.com (James Brumley)
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⚡ Quantum Brief
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway portfolio still reflects his influence despite his CEO departure, with two stocks—American Express and Constellation Brands—recommended for purchase and one, DaVita, advised to avoid. American Express, Berkshire’s second-largest holding, is resilient amid rising U.S. household debt ($18.8T) and near-decade-high delinquencies (4.8%), as its affluent customer base sustains luxury spending growth (15% YoY). Constellation Brands, though underperforming since Berkshire’s 2024 investment, shows potential due to cyclical alcohol demand and strategic divestments, including low-margin wine brands, under new CEO Nicholas Fink. DaVita faces declining profitability (net income down 17% YoY) due to healthcare industry pressures, including reimbursement challenges, prompting Berkshire’s gradual exit since early 2025. The analysis highlights Buffett’s enduring stock-picking legacy, emphasizing defensive plays in consumer spending and cyclical sectors while cautioning against structurally weakened industries like dialysis services.
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By James Brumley – Mar 8, 2026 at 4:25AM ESTKey PointsLoan delinquencies are on the rise as overall U.S. household debt becomes crushing, but not every lender is at risk.Constellation Brands has underperformed since Berkshire first bought in, but there’s still a light at the end of the tunnel for this beer brewer.It’s getting tougher to thrive in the healthcare industry, with no end to this headwind in sight.He may no longer be Berkshire Hathaway's CEO and resident stock-picker. There's no denying, however, that Warren Buffett's fingerprints are still all over the conglomerate's current portfolio. If you wanted to poach a pick or two from the Oracle of Omaha's selections, there's still time. In fact, here's a couple that you might want to consider buying first -- and one you arguably won't want to. Image source: The Motley Fool. Buy: American Express Apple is still Berkshire's single-biggest stock holding. Through a combination of growth and attrition, though, credit card outfit American Express (AXP 2.02%) is now the organization's second-biggest trade at just over $47 billion. ExpandNYSE: AXPAmerican ExpressToday's Change(-2.02%) $-6.21Current Price$301.00Key Data PointsMarket Cap$207BDay's Range$294.51 - $303.0052wk Range$220.43 - $387.49Volume5.5MAvg Vol3.4MGross Margin60.65%Dividend Yield1.09% Anyone keeping tabs on this ticker likely knows it's peeled back nearly 20% from December's record high, largely on worries that economic malaise is dragging down consumer spending, and even crimping their ability to repay their loans. For perspective, the New York Federal Reserve reports U.S. household debt now stands at a record-breaking $18.8 trillion, with delinquencies on this debt at a near-decade high of 4.8%. It doesn't bode well for a lender like Amex. American Express may be better shielded from this trouble than you might think, however. As it serves more than its fair share of affluent borrowers, it's holding up in the midst of this headwind. Indeed, Amex cardholders' luxury spending grew 15% year over year during the fourth quarter, nearly doubling the 8% growth it saw in total billed business. This stock's 20% pullback may be all the discount you're going to get. Buy: Constellation Brands So far, the position that Berkshire Hathaway first established in beer maker Constellation Brands (STZ 0.46%) back in late 2024 hasn't paid off. Shares of the company behind Corona and Modelo are down since then. In fact, Gallup reports that the proportion of people living in the United States who regularly consume alcohol now stands at a multidecade low of 54%. ExpandNYSE: STZConstellation BrandsToday's Change(-0.46%) $-0.67Current Price$146.63Key Data PointsMarket Cap$25BDay's Range$145.51 - $148.6952wk Range$126.45 - $196.91Volume53KAvg Vol2.6MGross Margin51.17%Dividend Yield2.79% This stock's sustained weakness, however, ignores a couple of important details about the booze business in general, and about Constellation in particular. Broadly speaking, although the decision to cut back on alcohol consumption is rooted in a combination of cost and health, this is a highly cyclical business. The demand that's subdued now will be rekindled again sooner or later, perhaps when consumers are feeling more financially confident again. In the meantime, the company has been going through a self-imposed overhaul, like last year's decision to divest some of its lower-priced wine brands that are more distracting than beneficial. Incoming CEO Nicholas Fink should also provide some fresh perspective regarding the direction that Constellation Brands needs to take next. Avoid: DaVita Not every pick that Buffett's been patient with is necessarily a great addition to your portfolio, however. Take kidney dialysis outfit DaVita (DVA +0.55%) as an example.

When Berkshire Hathaway first bought into it back in 2011, business was good because demand was strong, and insurers were reasonable regarding reimbursement. Much of that has changed for the worse in the meantime, though. Despite modest 5% year-over-year revenue growth through the first three quarters of fiscal 2025, net income is down 17%. It's a microcosm of the bigger-picture challenge the entire healthcare industry is facing these days. This might convince you: After (mostly) leaving it alone for over a decade, Berkshire began steadily scaling out of this holding early last year. New CEO Greg Abel has already picked up where Buffett left off.Read NextFeb 15, 2026 •By James Brumley3 Warren Buffett Stocks to Buy Hand Over Fist in FebruaryFeb 12, 2026 •By Jennifer SaibilThe Best Warren Buffett Stocks to Buy With $1,000 Right NowJan 18, 2026 •By Stefon Walters1 Top Dividend Stock to Buy With Double-Digit Dividend Growth and an Aggressive Share Repurchase ProgramJan 6, 2026 •By Marc GubertiIf You Own CWH Stock, You May Want to Sell, and Buy This Credit Card Stock InsteadMay 24, 2025 •By Neil PatelThe Best Warren Buffett Stocks to Buy With $1,000 Right NowMay 4, 2025 •By Jennifer Saibil3 No-Brainer Warren Buffett Stocks to Buy Right NowAbout the AuthorJames Brumley is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering consumer staples and consumer discretionary stocks. James is a former licensed stockbroker with Charles Schwab, and a registered investment adviser. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with a specialization in finance from Transylvania University.TMFjbrumleyX@jbrumleyStocks MentionedAmerican ExpressNYSE: AXP$300.92(-2.05%)-$6.29Berkshire HathawayNYSE: BRKA$747,800.01(-0.39%)-$2,949.89AppleNASDAQ: AAPL$257.80(-0.96%)-$2.49Constellation BrandsNYSE: STZ$146.47(-0.56%)-$0.83Berkshire HathawayNYSE: BRKB$499.04(-0.27%)-$1.36DaVitaNYSE: DVA$150.76(+0.55%)+$0.82*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.

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