Apple returned to the center of market attention after Warren Buffett said Berkshire Hathaway sold part of its Apple stake too soon and would buy more shares at the right price. Speaking to CNBC on March 31, Buffett said Apple remains Berkshire’s largest holding, even after the conglomerate reduced its position over the past year. He added that Apple is not yet attractive enough in the current market, despite a recent pullback in the stock. The comments arrived as Apple shares traded near $248, with the stock under short-term pressure after falling from the upper-$270s and low-$280s. Buffett’s remarks offered a fresh vote of confidence in Apple’s long-term business model, while also making clear that valuation still matters. He said Berkshire made more than $100 billion in pretax profits from the investment, but he still described the partial sale as premature. Apple’s recent operating performance has remained strong. The company reported quarterly services revenue of $30.013 billion, while its active installed base rose above 2.5 billion devices worldwide. Those figures kept attention on the strength of Apple’s recurring revenue engine, even as broader market volatility and legal issues created a more mixed near-term backdrop for the stock. Buffett Keeps Apple at the Center of Berkshire’s Portfolio Buffett said he remains happy that Apple remains Berkshire Hathaway’s largest holding. At the same time, he noted that he was not comfortable with the stake becoming too dominant relative to other positions. That balance helps explain why Berkshire trimmed the holding while still keeping Apple at the top of its public equity portfolio. He also gave strong support to Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook. Buffett said Cook has done a strong job with the company, even while working within a different era than Steve Jobs. Concurrently, Apple’s business results continue to support that case. The company recently delivered record services revenue and continues to benefit from a global device ecosystem that supports hardware, software, payments, subscriptions, and recurring customer engagement. Those factors remain central to the long-term bull case around Apple, even when the stock enters a weaker technical phase. Legal and Regulatory Issues Add Pressure to Near-Term Sentiment Even with strong operating data, Apple is dealing with several external pressures. A US Court of Appeals upheld an exclusion order tied to the Apple Watch, creating a legal and supply-chain issue for one of the company’s hardware categories. In the UK, Apple Distribution International was fined £390,000 over sanctions-related violations tied to payments made in 2022. Investors are also watching the company’s next product and software cycle. Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June is expected to provide more detail on its artificial intelligence strategy. That event could become an important near-term marker because Apple has faced questions about whether it is moving fast enough in AI compared with other large technology firms. At the same time, Apple marked its 50th anniversary, with Tim Cook ringing the Nasdaq opening bell remotely from Apple Park. That milestone added a symbolic focus, but the market remains more concerned with earnings durability, legal overhangs, AI execution, and the share price's path on softer tape. AAPL Technical Setup Remains Weak Below Key Levels From a chart perspective, Apple looks bearish to neutral in the short term. The stock is trading below the 20-day Bollinger Band midline near $253.70, which keeps the near-term structure tilted toward sellers. The upper Bollinger Band near $263.45 is the first clear area of resistance, while the lower band near $243.96 marks the nearest support. The relative strength index near 39 also points to soft momentum. That reading is below the neutral 50 level, yet not deeply oversold. This means the stock still has room to move lower before a stronger rebound setup becomes more likely. The immediate support zone sits between $248 and $244, with the next downside area near $240 and then the low-$230s if selling intensifies. Source: TradingView On the upside, buyers need to reclaim $250 and then recover the $253.70 mid-band. A stronger reversal would require a move through $260-$263. Until that happens, Apple remains in a weak short-term range, even as Buffett’s remarks reinforce confidence in the company’s longer-term business strength.
