This article examines Apple (AAPL) and American Express (AXP), which together constitute nearly 36% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. It highlights their strong brand power, customer loyalty, and pricing power as key reasons for their valuation and Warren Buffett's investment strategy. The piece concludes by suggesting both stocks are good long-term purchases but also notes that Apple was not on The Motley Fool Stock Advisor's latest "top 10 stocks to buy now" list.

CIBC Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in CVS Health Corporation by 59.9% in the fourth quarter, purchasing an additional 121,795 shares to bring its total holding to 325,001 shares valued at approximately $25.8 million. This acquisition comes despite significant insider selling from EVP Tilak Mandadi and Director Larry Robbins, who sold millions of shares. CVS Health recently reported strong quarterly results, exceeding EPS and revenue expectations, and reaffirmed its FY 2026 EPS guidance.

CIBC Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) by 33.2% in the fourth quarter, acquiring an additional 24,676 shares, bringing its total holding to 99,079 shares valued at $33.3 million. General Dynamics reported strong quarterly earnings of $4.10 per share and revenue of $13.48 billion, surpassing analyst expectations, with revenue growing 10.3% year-over-year. Despite some insider share sales, Wall Street analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating with price targets generally ranging from $385 to $400.

Cibc World Market Inc. increased its stake in Verizon Communications Inc. by 15.3% in the fourth quarter, acquiring an additional 316,854 shares to own a total of 2,382,975 shares valued at approximately $97.1 million. Verizon's recent quarterly results showed adjusted EPS of $1.28, beating estimates, despite revenue of $34.44 billion being slightly below expectations. Analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" rating for Verizon with a consensus price target of $50.59, while the stock currently trades at $46.56.

CIBC World Markets Inc. increased its stake in Walmart Inc. by 13.2% in the fourth quarter, acquiring an additional 281,454 shares, bringing its total holdings to $269.6 million. Walmart continues to receive positive ratings from Wall Street analysts, with a "Moderate Buy" consensus and an average price target of $138.85. The retailer recently met EPS expectations and exceeded revenue estimates, reporting strong year-over-year revenue growth and providing optimistic FY2027 EPS guidance.

Ameren Corp. (US0236081024) shares are trading steadily on the NYSE as the Missouri-based utility has re-entered the 2026 Fortune 500 list at No. 466 and continues to adjust its leadership structure. These developments, along with its regulated electricity and natural gas business in the United States, maintain investor focus on the company's stability and growth within the utility sector. Ameren operates as a regulated utility group in Missouri and Illinois, deriving most of its revenue from rate-based investments in power generation, transmission, and distribution networks.

CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its stake in Autodesk, Inc. by 34.2% in the fourth quarter, now holding 88,935 shares valued at $26.3 million. This comes as Autodesk reported strong quarterly results with higher-than-expected EPS and revenue growth, alongside an insider stock purchase by director Stacy J. Smith. Despite some recent stock pressure, analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus with a target price of $327.21, buoyed by strategic collaborations with Amazon Web Services and continued expansion into operations software and AI.

CIBC Asset Management Inc. significantly increased its stake in Arista Networks (ANET) by 67.6% in the fourth quarter, purchasing an additional 101,231 shares and bringing its total holdings to 251,018 shares valued at approximately $32.9 million. Institutional ownership of Arista Networks remains high at 82.47%. The company has shown strong performance with revenue up 35.1% year-over-year, and analysts maintain a consensus "Buy" rating with a target price of $185.72.

CIBC Asset Management Inc. significantly increased its stake in Axon Enterprise, Inc. by 32.9% in the fourth quarter, bringing its total holdings to 43,953 shares valued at approximately $25 million. This increase follows Axon's strong quarterly performance with revenues of $807.35 million and EPS of $1.61, both exceeding analyst expectations. Despite strong operational results and high institutional ownership, the article notes some caution from analysts cutting price targets and recent insider selling.

CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its stake in The Boeing Company by 72.7% in the fourth quarter, purchasing an additional 79,723 shares and now holding a total of 189,333 shares valued at approximately $41.1 million. Despite a recent 3.1% drop in stock price, Boeing maintains strong institutional ownership and recently surpassed earnings expectations. Analysts generally rate the stock as a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $259.80, though some recent news has introduced mixed sentiment regarding its future.