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Warren Buffett Might Not Own These Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks -- but Their Fundamentals Check Out
GOOGAlphabet(GOOG) The Motley Fool·2025-06-08 09:40

Group 1: Apple and Berkshire Hathaway - Apple has been Berkshire Hathaway's top holding for several years, despite Warren Buffett's historical avoidance of tech stocks [1] - Buffett prefers sectors with predictable cash flows, such as insurance, banking, and consumer staples, due to the unpredictable nature of tech earnings [2] Group 2: Alphabet - Alphabet has a strong economic moat, with Google holding over 90% market share in web search for the last two decades, supporting its profitable tech empire [5] - Google Search has reached a revenue run rate of 200billion,withGoogleServicesoperatingatamarginofover40200 billion, with Google Services operating at a margin of over 40%, and revenue grew by 12% in the first quarter [6][7] - Despite its competitive advantages and growth, Alphabet trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.6, which is a substantial discount compared to the S&P 500 [7] - The valuation discount is attributed to fears of potential breakup or fines due to its monopoly status and the risk of disruption from AI chatbots [8] - Historically, Alphabet shares have traded at modest valuations, indicating that investors may have underestimated the stock [9] Group 3: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) - Berkshire Hathaway invested 4.1 billion in TSMC in 2022 but sold its position two quarters later, possibly due to geopolitical risks [10] - TSMC is the leading third-party semiconductor manufacturer, holding over 50% market share in contract chips and over 90% in advanced chips crucial for AI [11] - Advanced chip technologies accounted for 73% of TSMC's total wafer revenue in the first quarter, showcasing its significant market position [11] - TSMC's revenue grew by 35% in the first quarter to $25.5 billion, with an operating margin of 48.5%, indicating strong pricing power [12] - The stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 24, which is considered an excellent valuation for a rapidly growing company integral to the AI boom [13]