Published Sat, Aug 15 2026 8:50 AM EDT by Alex Crippen
Welcome to the weekly email focused on Buffett's investing moves and Berkshire Hathaway. It reaches readers' inboxes every Friday evening.
In its second-quarter report to the SEC, Berkshire said it owns nearly 106 million Alphabet shares split between its Class A and Class C stock, valued at about $36.6 billion. That total is about $1.5 billion larger than Coca-Cola's $35.1 billion stake, though still well behind the top two holdings, which stand at $69.7 billion and $51.9 billion. The filing lists Apple, American Express, Alphabet, and Coca-Cola as Berkshire's biggest investments by value.
Of the 48.1 million shares Berkshire picked up, about 60% came through a $10 billion private placement Alphabet announced in early June. That leaves roughly $7 billion of Alphabet stock that Berkshire likely purchased on the open market.
No other stock drew as much new money as Alphabet during the quarter. Berkshire also increased its Delta Air Lines position significantly. Delta had only reappeared in Berkshire's portfolio in the first quarter.
Buffett sold Delta and three other airline stocks at a loss in Q1 2020, while pandemic-related travel restrictions were taking hold. Airline investments have rarely rewarded Buffett. In his 2007 annual letter, Buffett wrote: "If a farsighted capitalist had been present at Kitty Hawk, he would have done his successors a huge favor by shooting Orville down."
Berkshire also added to other names. Berkshire's Macy's stake rose 142%, but that only changed the investment by about $100 million. Berkshire also announced its $6.8 billion acquisition of Taylor Morrison Home during the quarter.
The homebuilder Lennar got roughly $280 million more from Berkshire. In short, Berkshire kept making changes across many parts of its stock portfolio.
The reductions in financial-sector names have become one of the clearest trends in Buffett's portfolio.
These moves reflect a broader shift in Berkshire's approach under Buffett's leadership, as the conglomerate has increasingly looked beyond its traditional stomping grounds of insurance, railroads, and consumer goods. The substantial additions to Alphabet and homebuilders suggest a willingness to embrace technology companies and sectors tied to housing demand, even as it steps back from financial institutions.
Investors watching Berkshire's quarterly 13F filings have grown accustomed to seeing the portfolio evolve, but the scale of this quarter's Alphabet purchase stands out as one of the largest single-stock additions in the company's history.
For a company that once avoided big technology bets and dumped airline stocks at a loss, the latest snapshot shows a portfolio willing to change direction. The return to Delta, the move into homebuilders, and the massive stake in Google's parent all point to a reshaped Berkshire portfolio. Financial stocks, meanwhile, continue to shrink in importance.
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