In Yesterdays issue of Barron's there is an article entitled "Now We Know Why Warren Buffett Has Been Selling Stocks", here is part of what it says:
"In retrospect, it’s easy to see why Buffett was selling even as the market was making new highs. While some money managers have criticized him for being too conservative in his allocations in recent years, there were plenty of signs in the fourth quarter that market choppiness could be ahead. President Donald Trump made no secret of his plans to use tariffs liberally in his second term. While many market observers were quick to claim he didn’t mean what he said, it turns out…he did."
"To investors’ dismay, Trump once again has rolled out tariffs, which disrupt global trade and can increase prices—and helped to sink the market in 2018."
"Trade tensions were likely on Buffett’s radar last quarter, given that over the weekend he called the levies an “act of war” that would only add to the nation’s inflation issue. Even beyond tariffs, the market generally dislikes uncertainty. Abrupt policymaking and chaotic news flow was a hallmark of the first Trump administration—it wouldn’t have been a stretch to predict it would be again."
"If nothing else, this market selloff shows the Oracle of Omaha still lives up to the moniker." John K Clark See what's on my new list at Extropolis bw0