Full Breakdown
Berkshire Hathaway Boosts Alphabet Stake to Third-Largest Holding in Q2 2026
8/17/2026, 7:49:25 AM
Core Portfolio Shift: Alphabet Investment
In the second quarter of 2026 Berkshire Hathaway added roughly 48 million Alphabet shares, raising its total to about 106 million shares. The filing for June 30 2026 valued the position at approximately $37.8 billion. This represents an 83 % increase from the 17.8 million shares Berkshire owned at the end of 2025, when the stake was worth about $5.6 billion. The expanded holding makes Alphabet the conglomerate’s third-largest equity position, behind Apple and American Express.
Background & Context
Greg Abel succeeded Warren Buffett as Berkshire’s chief executive on January 1 2026. Buffett remains chairman and the largest shareholder. Berkshire began building an Alphabet position in the fall of 2025, holding 17.8 million shares by December 2025. In June 2026 the firm agreed to a $10 billion private-placement investment in Alphabet, a deal that helped finance the tech giant’s artificial-intelligence infrastructure expansion (AP; Hurriyetdailynews).
Timeline
- January 1 2026 – Greg Abel becomes CEO.
- June 2026 – Berkshire commits $10 billion to Alphabet via a private placement.
- Q2 2026 – Purchases ~48.1 million shares, bringing total to ~106 million.
- June 30 2026 – Regulatory filing reports the stake at $37.8-$37.9 billion.
Data & Statistics
- Alphabet shares: 17.8 M (Dec 2025) -> 106 M (June 30 2026), an 83 % rise.
- Stake value: $5.6 billion -> $37.8-$37.9 billion (AP; Hokanews; Blockonomi).
- Portfolio ranking: Alphabet now third after Apple (~$66 billion) and American Express (~$51 billion).
- Delta Air Lines: Position up 44 % to about $5.4 billion (Blockonomi; AnalyticsInsight).
- Lennar: Shares up nearly 30 % to 13.1 million, valued at $1.19 billion (Blockonomi; Parameter).
- D.R. Horton: New stake of roughly 3,600 shares.
- Macy’s: Added $173 million of shares.
- Divestments: Bank of America and Ally Financial down ~6 % each; Capital One down 58 %; Kroger, Nucor, DaVita reduced; complete exit from Constellation Brands (632,890 shares) (AP; AnalyticsInsight).
Official Statements & Responses
- Warren Buffett, while serving as chairman, has said he supported the Alphabet idea and confirmed his involvement in the investment (Hokanews; AP).
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Valuation: The Alphabet stake is reported as $37.76 billion, $37.8 billion, and $37.9 billion (Blockonomi; AskTraders). The slight range reflects different reporting dates.
- Value range: AskTraders notes a broader estimate of $24.2 billion to $37.9 billion for the position, indicating uncertainty about the exact market value at various points in the quarter.
Impact & Significance
The Q2 filing marks Berkshire’s first net equity purchase in 14 consecutive quarters, with $23.5 billion spent on acquisitions versus $3.7 billion sold (Blockonomi; Parameter). Cash reserves fell from $397 billion to $365 billion, underscoring a more active capital deployment strategy under Abel (Blockonomi; Parameter).
The sizable Alphabet holding signals confidence in the company’s AI and cloud initiatives, especially as Alphabet pursues an $80 billion expansion of its AI infrastructure. Simultaneous increases in airline and homebuilding assets suggest a broader diversification toward sectors the firm views as offering long-term growth.
What's Next
No specific future events were detailed in the source material. Berkshire’s next quarterly 13-F filing will provide further insight into how the portfolio evolves under Abel’s leadership.
