• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
FinanceWarren Buffett

Warren Buffett Says American Express Is Under Attack

By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 30, 2016, 4:25 PM ET
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Annual General Meeting
Photograph by Bloomberg — Getty Images

Warren Buffett says the business model American Express, which is one of the famous investor’s largest holdings, is under attack, but that’s not enough to get him to sell the stock.

Buffett, who was answering a question at the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, about why he doesn’t sell more often, said that he thought American Express is an attractive business and that would be stupid for competitors to ignore it. “A lot of companies are not as great as they used to be,” says Buffett.

Shares of American Express (AXP) have been a disappointment for Berkshire and other investors in the past year.

Nonetheless, Buffett says he is “happy” with American Express (AXP) and has no plans to sell the stock. “I like American Express,” says Buffett.

Some have criticized Buffett for having his portfolio stuck in a few large companies that appear to be past their prime. Earlier in the day Buffett praised Amazon, a company that Buffett does not own any shares of.

Buffett’s No. 2 Charlie Munger said that he thought anyone with a legacy payment infrastructure these days is going to have some issues. But Munger added that auto companies are not as powerful as they used to be. “When I was young GM loomed over the economy,” says Munger. “The world changes.”

Berkshire owns over 1.6 million shares of General Motors(GM).

Click here for all of Fortune‘s coverage of Berkshire’s annual meeting.

About the Author
By Stephen Gandel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.