Because of Warren Buffett's exceptional track record allocating capital for Berkshire Hathaway, the average investor can gain a lot by following his moves. If you're looking for new investment ideas, perhaps it's best to take a look at the conglomerate's massive $280 billion portfolio.
There are numerous holdings. However, there are a couple that really stand out. Here are the best Buffett stocks to buy right now with $2,000.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Finding different ways to drive growth
Apple remains a top Buffett position, as the consumer electronics leader represents 21.6% of the portfolio. But Amazon (AMZN 1.82%), another tech giant, is a top stock that investors should consider buying. Berkshire owns 10 million shares, translating to a tiny 0.1% stake in the business.
Don't let that small position sizing take away from just how wonderful a company Amazon is. This is demonstrated by its durable growth trajectory, which is driven by multiple secular trends.
Investors are all too familiar with Amazon's position in the e-commerce industry. The business went from selling only books to now offering cars on its popular marketplace. Almost 38% of all online sales in the U.S. happen on Amazon.
The company has created a leading cloud computing platform as well, with Amazon Web Services (AWS). According to Grand View Research, the global cloud market is set to grow at a compound annual rate of 20% through the rest of the decade to a value of $2.4 trillion. AWS is well-positioned to capture this opportunity, especially with budding interest among its customer base in utilizing its expanding AI capabilities.
In the past 12 months, Amazon's digital advertising efforts raked in $58.3 billion in revenue. This figure is growing at a double-digit pace. Given how profitable others in the space are, this activity is likely generating substantial earnings for Amazon.
Ongoing top-line growth should propel the bottom line. Wall Street thinks Amazon's operating income will rise 13% year over year in 2025 to $77.3 billion. That figure would be 534% higher than in 2022, showcasing how effective expense controls have been in boosting profitability.
The stock has been a laggard this year, down 7% (as of June 2) in 2025. But shares have soared 852% in the past decade. Investors can add Amazon to their portfolios with the stock trading 15% below its peak.
A leader in the financial services industry
Another Buffett stock that looks like a smart buying opportunity with $2,000 is American Express (AXP 2.01%). Berkshire owns nearly 152 million shares in the financial services leader, which makes it one of the top holdings.
American Express might not operate in tech-focused industries like Amazon does. However, its financial performance over the years has been steady. This is true in today's uncertain economic environment.
During the first quarter of 2025, payment volume was up 6% year over year, supported by spending in both goods and services, and travel and entertainment. This helped revenue increase 7%. Profitability is also noteworthy; diluted earnings per share jumped 9%.
One of Buffett's core investment tenets is to buy companies that possess an economic moat. American Express undoubtedly fits the bill. Because it operates the underlying payment infrastructure, it benefits from a powerful network effect. The system becomes more valuable to key stakeholders, namely cardholders and merchants, the larger it gets.
That's because cardholders find more utility by having more places to shop. Merchants understand the spending power of these consumers, so they plug into the Amex network to maximize their ability to earn more revenue.
American Express' brand also can't be overlooked. The company's premium credit cards attract a more affluent customer base that's comfortable paying high annual fees for what they might view as a status symbol in their wallets. It helps that Amex also offers first-rate rewards and perks for cardholders to receive more value.
It's worth mentioning that this brand is resonating strongly with younger consumers. "As in past quarters, Millennial and Gen-Z consumers made up over 60% of new consumer accounts acquired globally in Q1," CEO Stephen Squeri highlighted on the latest earnings call. This demographic has decades of spending ahead of it that could flow to Amex.
Buffett and Berkshire continue to hold on to the stock. The average investor might want to follow.
