Warren Buffett’s Top Picks: KO, GOOGL, UNH – The Trio You Can’t Afford to Ignore in 2025

Buffett’s golden touch meets market giants—why these stocks still dominate.

The Oracle’s Stamp of Approval

When Warren Buffett talks, Wall Street listens. KO (Coca-Cola), GOOGL (Alphabet), and UNH (UnitedHealth) aren’t just tickers—they’re legacy bets with Buffett’s Midas touch. In a world of meme stocks and crypto hype, these picks are the anti-volatility armor for your portfolio.

Why These Three?

KO: The dividend king. GOOGL: Tech’s cash-printing machine. UNH: Healthcare’s untouchable titan. No flashy NFTs here—just old-school, cash-flow monsters.

The Cynic’s Corner

Let’s face it: Buffett’s ‘boring’ picks won’t moon overnight like your favorite shitcoin. But while degens chase 100x, these stocks quietly compound wealth—proving patience still beats hype.

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For context, a 13F filing refers to the list of stock holdings that large investment managers are required to disclose to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) every quarter. Let’s look at the details.

Coca-Cola (KO)

Warren Buffett’s fondness for Coca-Cola is well-known. He has earlier referred to the company as a “forever stock,” signaling that Berkshire Hathaway intends to hold it indefinitely. According to recent filings, KO represents 9.92% of Berkshire’s portfolio, making it one of the fund’s top five holdings, with a value of approximately $26.53 billion.

Buffett likes the beverage giant because it’s a stable, cash-generating company with a strong brand and wide economic moat. Its consistent profits, reliable cash flows, and global popularity make it a company he can hold long-term, even through economic ups and downs. With a solid balance sheet, the company is well-positioned to navigate macroeconomic challenges, and its consumer defensive status helps it withstand periods of economic weakness.

In Q3, Coca-Cola’s revenue grew 5% year-over-year to $12.46 billion, surpassing analysts’ estimates, reflecting the company’s reliable performance.

Is KO Stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell?

Turning to Wall Street, the analysts’ consensus rating for Coca-Cola stock is Strong Buy, based on 14 Buys and one Hold assigned over the last three months. With that comes an average KO stock price of $79.08, representing a potential 11.13% upside for the shares.

Alphabet (GOOGL)

In Q3 2025, Berkshire disclosed a new stake of 17.85 million Alphabet shares, worth roughly $4.3 billion. Alphabet was by far the biggest Q3 addition, well ahead of a $1.2 billion increase for Chubb (CB).

Berkshire’s investment in Alphabet may raise eyebrows, but Alphabet does align with several qualities Berkshire seeks in its investments. For starters, Alphabet boasts a wide economic moat with multiple competitive advantages, including intangible assets, network effects, cost advantages, and customer switching barriers. These strengths help the company defend against competitors, maintain profitability, and sustain its market dominance.

Additionally, Buffett has never avoided a fundamentally strong company, even if it faces controversy. Alphabet fits that description. Its Q3 2025 results, including EPS of $2.87 vs. $2.26 expected and revenue up 16% to $102.35 billion, demonstrate strong profitability and growth, reinforcing the company’s solid fundamentals.

Critics worry that ongoing antitrust cases could hurt Google’s search dominance, but analysts see limited risk to the Core business.

Is Google Stock a Buy?

According to TipRanks, GOOGL stock has received a Strong Buy consensus rating, with 30 Buys and seven Holds assigned in the last three months. The average GOOGL stock price target stands at $312.29, implying a 12.98% upside from the current price.

UnitedHealth Group (UNH)

In August 2025, Berkshire purchased over 5 million shares of troubled health insurer UnitedHealth, worth roughly $1.6 billion. The MOVE came as a surprise, given the company’s current reputation. The company has become a focal point of public criticism over rising healthcare costs. The company is also facing a Justice Department investigation into its Medicare billing practices. Year-to-date, UNH stock is down by 36%.

Nonetheless, the stock aligns with Buffett’s history of value-driven, bargain investing. Buffett typically invests in companies trading below their intrinsic value, focusing on the long-term true worth of the business. The sell-off in UNH shares this year has pushed its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio down, reflecting a sharp drop in its market valuation relative to future profits.

Notably, UNH’s P/E ratio stands at 16.8, compared to the sector average of 26.16.

What Is the Future of UNH Stock? 

Turning to Wall Street, UNH stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 17 Buys, three Holds, and one Sell assigned in the last three months. At $395.67, the average UnitedHealth stock price target implies a 23% upside potential.