Wall Street looks to Warren Buffett for guidance on tariffs, economy – but he’s likely to pass

Warren Buffett is finally expected to talk about the tariffs and economic mess that’s had Wall Street choking for months.

The 94-year-old CEO of Berkshire Hathaway will face investors at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Omaha this Saturday. He hasn’t said a thing yet about the chaos unleashed by President Donald Trump’s tariffs or the shaky markets that followed.

Now, after nine quarters of big sell-offs, people want answers — and they’re hoping they’ll get some this weekend.

The crowd won’t be small. Over 30,000 investors are flying in to Nebraska for what’s become the loudest finance event of the year. It’s the 60th anniversary of Warren leading the company. It’s also the second meeting without his longtime partner and best friend Charlie Munger, who died in 2023.

The event has been called “Woodstock for Capitalists” for years. But this time, no one’s showing up to party — they want to hear what Warren plans to do with the cash and why he’s been dumping stocks like it’s a fire sale.

Berkshire investors want Warren Buffett to get real on tariffs and Apple sell-off

This year’s event lands at a rough time. The tariffs Trump slammed on imports — the highest in decades — have investors panicking. Some of those were delayed 90 days, but the impact is already being felt. Economic reports are showing signs of a slowdown. Some are warning that a recession’s around the corner.

Steve Check, founder of Check Capital Management, said the mood is tense. “Because Berkshire owns so many businesses, they’re basically on the front lines of everything in terms of the economy falling off. Is it even worse than what the numbers are already showing?” he asked. “I hope, more than anything, that he speaks out against the way tariffs have been done.”

Warren hasn’t said much, but he’s been busy. In 2024 alone, Berkshire sold over $134 billion in stock. That made it nine quarters in a row of more selling than buying. Most of the dump came from trimming the two biggest holdings — Apple and Bank of America.

David Wagner, who manages money at Aptus Capital Advisors and owns Berkshire shares, said the meeting is about timing. “What will Warren do with the pile of cash that they are sitting on and, more specifically, when can it be deployed?” he said. Wagner added that many people “tend to view Warren as the north star.”

The weekend starts early Saturday. Warren gives a few opening remarks at 9 a.m. ET, then sits for hours answering questions. He’ll be joined in the morning by his successor Greg Abel and insurance chief Ajit Jain, then it’s just him and Greg in the afternoon.

At last year’s meeting, Warren said his sales were tax-related. He claimed the gains were big and he was trying to avoid paying more later if rates rose to plug the federal deficit. But people are calling BS now.

“You can’t use that explanation anymore because it clearly does not apply,” said David Kass, finance professor at the University of Maryland. He said if Warren keeps selling, it could mean he thinks Apple is fully priced. Or, more likely, that he sees risks — like a trade war, more tariffs, or something else ugly on the horizon.

There’s the Berkshire Bazaar of Bargains, where companies under the Berkshire umbrella sell their goods. There’s also a 5K run, investing meetups, and other stuff for the money crowd.

There are a few changes to the actual meeting setup. The 2024 shareholder letter confirmed there won’t be a movie at the start, which used to be a highlight. Warren speaks at 8 a.m. local time. The Q&A ends at 1 p.m. after just one 30-minute break. The shopping zone stays open until 4 p.m.

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