WASHINGTON: Berkshire Hathaway has announced that it boosted the size of its investment in Alphabet by 83% in the second quarter (2Q26), making the parent of Google and YouTube its third-largest stock holding.
Berkshire said in a regulatory filing last Friday that it owned nearly 106 million Alphabet shares worth about US$37.8bil as of June 30, up from 57.8 million shares three months earlier.
The stake included a US$10bil investment announced in June, to help Alphabet expand its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
Apple remained Berkshire’s largest stock investment, worth US$66bil at the end of June, followed by American Express at US$51.3bil.
Coca-Cola ranked fourth and Bank of America was fifth.
Berkshire also said it eliminated its year-and-a-half investment in alcoholic beverages producer Constellation Brands, while adding to investments in Delta Air Lines and Macy’s that it began in the 1Q26..
The changes were disclosed in a filing describing Berkshire’s US-listed stock holdings as of June 30, which comprised most of its US$323.8bil equity portfolio.
Berkshire bought US$23.5bil and sold US$3.7bil of stocks in the 2Q26, ending a 14-quarter stretch when it sold more stocks than it bought.
Chief executive officer Greg Abel has begun reducing the enormous cash pile that his predecessor Warren Buffett left him when the legendary investor stepped down at year-end.
Berkshire’s cash stake fell to US$364.7bil on June 30 from US$380.2bil on March 31, a decline also reflecting US$4.5bil of stock buybacks.
Buffett remains Berkshire’s chairman. He told CNBC last month it was his idea to invest in Alphabet, a stake Berkshire began building in last year’s 3Q25.
Buffett also said he and Abel consult on how Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire allocates capital.
The Delta investment grew 44% in the 2Q26 to 57.3 million shares worth nearly US$5.4bil, while the Macy’s investment more than doubled to about 7.3 million shares worth US$173mil.
Berkshire also bought more shares of home builder Lennar and disclosed a tiny – US$580,000 – stake in another home builder, D.R. Horton.
It reduced its holdings in Ally Financial, Bank of America, Capital One, kidney dialysis provider DaVita, grocer Kroger and steel maker Nucor.
Abel said in February he oversaw 94% of Berkshire’s stock holdings, while investment manager Ted Weschler handled 6%.
Last Friday’s filing does not say who bought and sold which stocks.
Berkshire also owns dozens of businesses including the BNSF railroad, Geico car insurance, energy and manufacturing companies and retail brands such as Brooks, Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom and See’s.
The conglomerate repurchased US$4.5bil of its own stock between April and June and over US$3.3bil more in July, accelerating repurchases it began in March following a nearly two-year hiatus.— Reuters
