Warren Buffett Sells His S&P 500 Index Funds Before the Market Crash and Buys a Restaurant Stock Up 375% in 10 Years

Key Points:

* The S&P 500 declined more than 12% during the five trading days after President Trump announced his "Liberation Day" tariffs in early April.

* Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway sold its entire stake in two S&P 500 index funds in the fourth quarter while adding to its position in Domino's Pizza.

* Investors should not interpret Buffett's decision to sell S&P 500 index funds as a lack of confidence in U.S. stocks.

Why Warren Buffett sold his S&P 500 index funds?

The Motley Fool presents an article discussing Warren Buffett's recent financial maneuvers, including the sale of his S&P 500 index funds prior to a market downturn and his investment in a restaurant stock that has appreciated by 375% over the past decade.

Furthermore, Berkshire's investment in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust constituted less than 0.02% of its overall portfolio. Therefore, Buffett's choice to divest from these index funds should not be seen as a sign of diminished confidence in U.S. equities, but rather as a strategic move to eliminate two minor holdings that were counterproductive to his objective of surpassing the performance of the S&P 500.

Importantly, Buffett recently told CBS, "A majority of any money I manage will always be in the United States." So, patient investors should feel comfortable holding an S&P 500 index fund in the current market environment.