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Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns the wrong stocks for the pandemic, Jim Cramer says

Theron Mohamed   

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns the wrong stocks for the pandemic, Jim Cramer says
Stock Market2 min read
  • Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway doesn't hold the right stocks to thrive during the coronavirus pandemic, "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer said on Tuesday.
  • The billionaire investor's conglomerate owns big stakes in companies such as Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America that have lagged the market this year.
  • "I don't want to bet against the great one," Cramer said. "But that portfolio is not a great portfolio."
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns the wrong stocks for the coronavirus pandemic, "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer said on Tuesday.

"I feel bad that America's best have been crummy," Cramer replied to a question about the famed investor's conglomerate underperforming the market this year.

Berkshire's stock price flatlined in the second quarter, whereas the S&P 500 soared about 20%, its biggest percentage gain since 1998.

Read more: JPMorgan breaks down how COVID-19 nearly destroyed one of the market's safest trades — and lays out 3 lessons to help investors tackle future crises

Several of Berkshire's biggest holdings have failed to impress during the pandemic, Cramer said. Coca-Cola has been "just okay" and Wells Fargo has been a "big disappointment."

"It is not setting up as being a great time for Berkshire," the former hedge-fund manager said. "I don't want to bet against the great one. But that portfolio is not a great portfolio."

During the show, Cramer highlighted several lockdown winners including Zoom, PayPal, Netflix, Shopify, and Etsy.

However, Berkshire's portfolio is weighted towards financial services rather than technology. Key holdings such as Bank of America, American Express, and JPMorgan Chase have lagged the market this year.

Buffett is unlikely to shake things up despite that fact, Cramer said.

Read more: Goldman Sachs has formulated a strategy that could triple the market's return within a year as volatility remains higher than normal — including 11 new stock picks for the months ahead

"He cares a lot about taxes and therefore he's not gonna make the change," he said, referring to Buffett's aversion to buying and selling shares.

However, Cramer did give Buffett credit for Berkshire's biggest holding — a tech stock that hit an all-time high in June.

"He did buy Apple, right," he said.

Here's Berkshire's stock chart for this year:

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