Berkshire Hathaway adds $17 billion to Alphabet stake in Q2 2026
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Berkshire Hathaway added roughly $17 billion to its Alphabet stake in the second quarter of 2026, making Alphabet the third-largest position in the company's equity portfolio. Berkshire acquired 48.1 million Alphabet shares, about 60% of them directly from Alphabet through a private placement disclosed in early June. The company also trimmed its Bank of America stake by 5.9%, extending eight straight quarters of selling.
Key Facts
- Alphabet's position in Berkshire's portfolio is worth about $36.6 billion, placing it above Coca-Cola at $35.1 billion but below American Express at $51.9 billion and Apple at $69.7 billion.
- Berkshire lifted its Delta Air Lines stake by 44% to 57.3 million shares worth about $5.1 billion during the second quarter.
- Berkshire trimmed its Bank of America stake by 5.9% in the quarter, the eighth consecutive quarter of selling and equivalent to a cumulative 53% reduction.
- Berkshire also cut its Capital One Financial stake by 58% and trimmed Ally Financial by 7%.
- Berkshire held about $365.5 billion in cash as of June 30, down 8% from March 31.
Alphabet Stake Expansion
Berkshire's second-quarter SEC filing shows it owns close to 106 million shares across Alphabet Class A and Class C, with a combined market value of around $36.6 billion. That places Alphabet above Coca-Cola at $35.1 billion but below American Express at $51.9 billion and top holding Apple at $69.7 billion. Berkshire added 48.1 million Alphabet shares during the quarter, and about 60% of the newly acquired shares, roughly $10 billion, were obtained directly from Alphabet through a private placement disclosed in early June. The balance of the Alphabet purchases was made through open-market transactions. Alphabet's entry into Berkshire's top holdings follows the company's $85 billion equity raise earlier this year to fund its artificial intelligence expansion.
Portfolio Changes
Berkshire expanded its Delta Air Lines bet by 44%, an outlay of roughly $1.6 billion, to reach 57.3 million shares now worth about $5.1 billion. The airline had returned to Berkshire's portfolio in the first quarter of 2026 after Berkshire sold its airline holdings at a loss in early 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic reduced air travel. Berkshire also lifted its Macy's holdings by 142%, adding about $100 million in new exposure given the modest base size, and put roughly $280 million more into homebuilder Lennar. On the sell side, Berkshire trimmed its Bank of America position by 5.9%, reducing the value of that holding by approximately $1.7 billion, the largest dollar cut of the quarter. The cumulative effect of eight straight quarters of selling is a 53% reduction in Berkshire's Bank of America stake, and the company also cut its Capital One Financial stake by 58% and trimmed Ally Financial by 7%.
Market Context
Alphabet raised $85 billion earlier this year to fund its artificial intelligence expansion. That offering helped push U.S. equity issuance to a record $251 billion in the first half of 2026. Berkshire held approximately $365.5 billion in cash as of June 30, down 8% from March 31.
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Berkshire Hathaway adds $17 billion to Alphabet stake in Q2 2026
