Warren Buffett’s widely regarded as the world’s greatest living investor. So when he backs a business, the stock market tends to pay close attention. And looking at the results of the last five years, it isn’t hard to see why.
Fun fact: anyone who invested £5,000 into his Berkshire Hathaway portfolio back in July 2021 is now sitting on approximately £10,861 today. That compares to the £9,810 the S&P 500 generated over the same period for a passive index investor.
But which stock’s done most of the heaviest lifting?
Apple’s extraordinary contribution
The single biggest driver of Berkshire’s five-year outperformance is its enormous stake in Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) which, at its peak, represented more than 40% of Buffett’s entire portfolio.
But even in 2026, Apple’s just delivered yet another impressive quarterly update. During the first three months of 2026, the tech titan posted revenue of $111.2bn, up 17% year on year. Earnings per share also shot up 22% to $2.01 thanks to Services – the highest-margin part of the business – reaching a new all-time revenue record. And crucially, Apple delivered double-digit growth across every single geographic segment, including Greater China.
Yet looking ahead, this momentum doesn’t seem to be slowing. Guidance came in well ahead of analyst expectations, pushing the share price even higher. And with its market-cap now sitting near $4.5trn, Apple’s even giving Nvidia a run for its money.
So far, it seems Buffett’s was once again right about investing in Apple all the way back in 2016. But the question now is, can Apple continue to climb even higher?
What to watch
While Apple’s been firing on all cylinders lately, there are some critical weaknesses that investors need to watch carefully.
The company remains heavily dependent on Chinese manufacturing. Due to the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China, the business is exposed to a significant structural risk that even CEO Tim Cook explicitly flags on nearly every recent earnings call.
Management’s in the process of diversifying its manufacturing footprint outside of China into markets such as India and Vietnam. But this isn’t a simple or rapid process, and any disruption or delay could spark some profit-taking activity for a stock that’s now priced quite richly.
Is it still worth buying?
Buffett has actually been quietly trimming his Apple position over the past 18 months. But he still holds it as his single largest position by far.
That suggests these moves are likely more to do with portfolio management rather than a change in his conviction. And overall, I think Apple could have more growth under its belt. That’s why, for investors looking for a large-cap steady compounder, Apple shares might be worth investigating a bit further.
Should you invest £5,000 in Apple right now?
When investing expert Mark Rogers and his team have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Twelfth Magpie Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets.
And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Apple made the list?
Zaven Boyrazian does not hold any positions in the companies mentioned.
