Buffett's Big Exit: $15.5B in Selloffs and $382B Cash Pile Explained

Berkshire Hathaway just pulled the trigger on $15.5 billion in stock sales, dumping chunks of Apple and Bank of America while stacking up a record $382 billion in cash—roughly one-third of its entire market cap. Wild, right?

Before you start panicking: This isn't Buffett trying to time the market. He's not predicting a crash or betting against stocks. What he's really doing is way simpler—he's just refusing to buy at inflated prices. When deals aren't attractive enough, he sits tight instead of forcing bad investments. Zero share buybacks this quarter either, which hammers home the message: He's picky as hell right now.

Here's the real takeaway: The market's near all-time highs, valuations aren't screaming bargain, and Buffett's basically saying "I'll wait." That doesn't mean you should panic-sell. But it does mean being honest with yourself: Do you actually see deals worth buying right now? If yes, keep deploying cash. If no—and especially if you might need money soon—holding more dry powder (like Buffett's ~30% cash allocation) isn't cowardice, it's discipline.

TL;DR: Buffett's not timing the market, he's just refusing to overpay. Investors should probably steal that playbook.