• After Warren Buffett sold $134 billion in equities in 2024 and is sitting on a $334 billion cash pile, one analyst said the “Oracle of Omaha” saw the current selloff coming. While it’s unlikely Buffett will make any big moves during the current market turmoil, some think he’ll look internationally or round out his insurance business.

Amid the stock market selloff, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett’s recent capital movements suggest he was preparing for it, according to an analyst. 

After tumbling more than 10% from its last peak, the Nasdaq remains in correction territory. The S&P 500 also entered a correction, though Friday’s rally pared its decline to less than 10% from its all-time record.

That has highlighted Berkshire’s recent cash hoarding as especially prescient. When asked if Buffett saw the selloff coming, Armando Gonzalez, founder of AI-powered research platform Bigdata.com, said the evidence suggests he did.

“Buffett’s actions over the past year have been a textbook example of positioning for turbulence,” he said in an emailed response to questions from Fortune.

Berkshire sold $134 billion in equities in 2024, ending the year with a cash pile of $334.2 billion—nearly double from a year ago and more than its shrinking stock portfolio of $272 billion. 

Gonzalez also noted that Buffett’s recent comments have been riddled with caution, emphasizing inflationary concerns and geopolitical uncertainty. For example, he warned that President Donald Trump’s tariffs will cause prices to rise.

“History shows when Buffett turns net seller, he often anticipates a period of subpar market performance,” Gonzalez said. “And once again, the Oracle of Omaha seems to have been ahead of the curve.”

With stocks well off their highs, that begs the question: will the famously value-conscious Buffett start deploying his cash by making some big purchases?

To be sure, Berkshire has made some moderate stock buys. But preferring bargains, Buffett historically looks to invest heavily in companies when valuations are low. During the peak of the 2008 financial crisis, for instance, Buffett deployed $3 billion into General Electric whose stock price had nosedived.

In his latest letter to Berkshire shareholders, Buffett reiterated his years-long view that valuations remained high. 

Gonzalez said it’s possible Buffett could start buying but only if true bargains emerge, noting that his track record shows a deep aversion to haste, even when markets tumble.

“He has no interest in timing the market’s bottom, nor does he chase short-term rebounds,” he said. “Instead, he waits for moments when fear drives prices to levels where the risk-reward equation tilts decisively in his favor.”

If Buffett should choose to finally make a big purchase, Gonzalez expects his next move to be used with a scalpel rather than a “broad-market splash,” if any at all. 

“In Buffett’s world, patience is more than a virtue, it’s a weapon,” he added.

While it’s uncertain if Buffett will go forward with a deal during the current market selloff, CFRA Research’s Cathy Seifert told Fortune she wouldn’t be surprised if Berkshire rounded out its insurance holdings. 

She added that valuations are still not dirt cheap, while the cash Buffett has parked in Treasury bonds is yielding him a good return and the competitive environment for deals has changed.

Additionally, Buffett has shown keen interest in Japanese trading companies, suggesting “a growing appetite for international diversification,” Gonzalez said. 

Since 2019, Berkshire has invested in the five biggest Japanese “sogo shosha,” which invest across sectors domestically and abroad. The trading houses—Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Sumitomo—operate “in a manner somewhat similar to Berkshire itself,” Buffett wrote in his annual letter.

While Buffett sits on his pile of cash, his deployable funds may grow even more as rumors of a rare Berkshire sale circle.

The Wall Street Journal reported that real-estate brokerage Compass was in advanced talks to acquire Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices of America.

According to Berkshire’s annual report, HomeServices has 820 brokerage offices and 270 franchisees in 2024.

Berkshire Hathaway did not return Fortune’s request for comment.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

• Canada and Portugal have expressed willingness to explore alternatives to the F-35 stealth fighter as President Donald Trump has sown doubt about the US commitment to the NATO alliance. That comes as Trump presses ahead with his trade war and continues to call for Canada to become the 51st US state.

America’s F-35 stealth fighter is seen by some allies as a potential vulnerability rather than a cutting-edge weapon that can boost warfighting capabilities.

In recent days, Canada and Portugal have expressed willingness to explore alternatives to the Lockheed Martin plane as President Donald Trump has sown doubt about the US commitment to the NATO alliance.

On Friday, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said the country is actively looking at other fighter jets amid growing political momentum to scrap a $13 billion deal for 88 F-35s that was signed in 2023.

Canada has committed money for its first 16 planes, which are scheduled for delivery early next year. Blair indicated that after accepting that batch of F-35s, Canada could turn to European aircraft to replace its aging fleet of fighters.

“The prime minister has asked me to go and examine those things and have discussions with other sources, particularly where there may be opportunities to assemble those fighter jets in Canada,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., alluding to a Swedish proposal for Saab’s Gripen fighter.

A defense ministry spokesperson also told Bloomberg that the deal hasn’t been canceled, but Canada needs to “make sure that the contract in its current form is in the best interests of Canadians and the Canadian Armed Forces.”

The review of the F-35 deal comes has Trump has imposed tariffs on Canada and vowed to make the country the 51 state of the US, sparking outrage and boycotts of American products.

Meanwhile, Trump has long been skeptical of NATO and complained that member countries aren’t spending enough on defense. Despite allies boosting their outlays in recent years, he has signaled it’s not enough and threatened to not come to their aid.

“If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them. No, I’m not going to defend them,” he told reporters in the Oval Office last week.

In addition, Trump has threatened a trade war with Europe and alarmed allies there by warming up to Russia and halting US military aid to Ukraine, prompting the EU to embark on a massive military buildup in preparation for a world without a reliable US security shield.

The seismic developments rocking the trans-Atlantic alliance, which were underscored by Trump’s recent shouting match with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, are top of mind as another NATO ally weighs a separate purchase of fighter jets.

While Portugal’s air force has recommended buying F-35s, outgoing Defense Minister Nuno Melo told Público that the country can’t ignore the current geopolitical environment.

“The recent US stance in the context of NATO and the international geostrategic dimension, makes us think what are the best options, because the predictability of our allies is a factor to be reckoned with,” he said.

He added that “this ally of ours” could limit use as well as maintenance support and access to components that are needed to ensure the aircraft are operational “in all types of scenarios.”

“There are several options that must be considered, particularly in the context of European production,” Melo said, with the defense ministry later adding that Portugal isn’t ruling out the F-35.

Reluctance among foreign militaries to buy the F-35 comes on top of concerns that the Trump administration is looking to slash US defense spending. As the Pentagon’s most expensive acquisition program, the F-35 has been a perennial punching bag and has previously drawn Elon Musk’s scorn as being inferior to drones.

The White House and the Defense Department’s joint program office for the F-35 didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin said the company values its partnership and history with the Portuguese Air Force and looks forward to continuing that partnership in the future.

“The F-35 is the most advanced, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, enabling 21st Century Security and allied deterrence,” Lockheed said in a statement to Fortune. “Questions about foreign military sales of the F-35 are best addressed by the US government.”

In a separate statement to the CBC, the company sought to dispel online misinformation that claims the F-35 has a “kill switch” that allows the US government to cripple the aircraft, saying “we deliver all system infrastructure and data required for all F-35 customers to sustain the aircraft.”

Still, an American promise is looking more doubtful as the US upends traditional geopolitics, according to Quantum Strategy’s David Roche, who told CNBC earlier this month that “NATO is dead” as Trump distances the US from long-time allies.

That makes Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping the big winners, as they see confirmation of their views that democratic powers are on the decline, Roche explained.

“The big loser is actually the US, because nobody will trust a US treaty again,” he added, noting that a lot of so-called Global South countries will fall into China’s orbit as a result.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

The Democratic Party was fracturing Friday as a torrent of frustration and anger was unleashed at Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, who faced what they saw as an awful choice: shut the government down or consent to a Republican funding bill that allows President Donald Trump to continue slashing the federal government.

After Schumer announced that he would reluctantly support the bill, he bore the brunt of that anger, including a protest at his office, calls from progressives that he be primaried in 2028 and suggestions that the Democratic Party would soon be looking for new leaders.

Nine other members of the Democratic Caucus — a contingent of mostly swing-state and retiring senators — eventually joined Schumer in voting to advance the Republican funding proposal, providing crucial support to bring it to a final vote. It passed late Friday with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Angus King of Maine voting with Republicans in favor.

Since their election losses, Democrats have been hunkered against a barrage of Trump’s early actions in office, locked out of legislative power and left searching for a plan to regain political momentum. But as Schumer let pass one of the rare moments when the party might regain leverage in Washington, the Democratic Party erupted in a moment of anger that had been building for months.

Many in the party felt the New York Democrat was not showing sufficient fight, arguing that a government shutdown would have forced Trump and Republicans to the negotiating table. Yet for Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats since Trump took office in 2016, the choice ultimately came down to preventing a shutdown that he believed would only hand Trump more power and leave his party with the blame for disruptions to government services.

“A shutdown would allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer warned on the Senate floor Friday, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency effort led by Elon Musk.

Schumer voted no on the final vote for the funding bill, which only needed a simple majority to pass. Nonetheless, House Democrats released a stream of angry statements and social media posts aimed at Schumer.

Democratic Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana shared a photo of Trump and Schumer engaged in conversation with the caption, “A picture is worth a thousand words!”

Even in the Senate, hardly any Democrats were speaking up in support of Schumer’s strategy Friday. It was a remarkable turn for the longtime Democratic leader, leaving him standing practically alone.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, his longtime ally and partner in funding fights of the past, said in a statement, “Let’s be clear: neither is a good option for the American people. But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable.”

Pelosi added that the senators should listen to the women who lead appropriations for Democrats, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. They had proposed a 30-day stopgap plan instead of the Republican proposal that provides funding until September. The Republican bill will trim $13 billion in non-defense spending from the levels in the 2024 budget year and increase defense spending by $6 billion.

As House Democrats, who almost all voted against the bill earlier this week, concluded a retreat in northern Virginia Friday, they also called for their Senate colleagues to show more fight. House Democratic leadership rushed back to the Capitol to hold a news conference and urge senators to reject the bill.

“We do not want to shutdown the government. But we are not afraid of a government funding showdown,” Jeffries said.

He also repeatedly declined to answer questions about whether he had confidence in Schumer.

Other Democrats, such as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who is seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028 and also visited the Democratic retreat, called for a broader movement. He mentioned the recent 60th anniversary of peaceful civil rights protests in Selma, Alabama, and argued that Democrats need to find “collective courage.”

“When those individuals marched, there wasn’t one voice,” Beshear said. “There was a collective courage of that group that changed the world. That day opened up the eyes of the country to what was really going on.”

Some were ready to start marching.

“We’re ready to get out of this building and head back to the Capitol at any moment and prevent the government from shutting down,” said Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“Now is the moment for Democrats to draw a line in the stand and say that we stand very firmly on the side of working class people and against the ultra-rich that are trying to corrupt our government for themselves,” he added.

Meanwhile, some of the nation’s most influential progressive groups warned of serious political consequences for Senate Democrats and predicted a fierce backlash when members of Congress return home next week.

Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, which has organized hundreds of protests across the nation, said that nearly 8 in 10 of the group’s activists support primary challenges against “Senate Dems who cave on the GOP bill.”

He wrote on social media that the vast majority of those Democratic activists plan to express their anger at town halls or other public events next week. MoveOn, another progressive group that claims nearly 10 million members nationwide, predicted that its activists would also demand answers from Democratic officials in the coming days

“Clearing the way for Donald Trump and Elon Musk to gut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is unacceptable. It’s past time for Democrats to fight and stop acting like it’s business as usual,” said Joel Payne, a spokesperson for MoveOn.

Senate Democrats were also mostly unwilling to speak up to defend Schumer’s move. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat, even suggested that the party should be looking for new leaders in the coming years.

“I think come ’26, ’28, we’ll get some new leadership,” he said. His office later said Warnock was answering the question broadly.

Mostly, though, senators just lamented that they had been jammed by a Republican Party that has found a new sense of unity under Trump. For years, House Republicans have not been able to muster votes for government funding on their own, forcing them into bipartisan negotiations. This time, they passed the bill on party lines and left Washington.

“We’re stuck with two bad choices presented by a unified Republican front,” said Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat.

He voted against the bill, yet said of Schumer’s decision: “These are tough, tough calls.”

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com