Berkshire Hathaway Boosts Alphabet Stake as Buffett Prepares Leadership Transition

Berkshire Hathaway has disclosed a surprising new investment in Alphabet, revealing a $4.3 billion stake in the Google parent company as part of its latest U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The move comes as Warren Buffett prepares to end his six-decade tenure as CEO, marking the final equity portfolio update before Greg Abel steps into the role on January 1.

As of September 30, Berkshire held 17.85 million Alphabet shares, making the tech giant its tenth-largest U.S. stock holding. The investment stands out because Buffett has historically avoided high-growth technology companies, though he has long praised Google’s advertising model—especially its similarities to successful strategies used by Berkshire-owned Geico. Buffett and the late Charlie Munger have previously expressed regret for not buying into Google earlier.

The filing also showed continued reductions in Berkshire’s massive Apple position. The conglomerate trimmed its stake to 238.2 million shares from 280 million in the third quarter. Despite selling nearly three-quarters of the more than 900 million shares it once owned, Apple remains Berkshire’s largest holding, valued at $60.7 billion. Analysts estimate that Apple represented the bulk of Berkshire’s $12.5 billion in stock sales during the quarter, marking the twelfth straight period in which the company was a net seller of equities.

Berkshire also scaled back its Bank of America position, selling about 6% of its shares while remaining the bank’s third-largest shareholder. Other adjustments included a complete exit from homebuilder DR Horton and increased investments in companies such as Chubb and Domino’s Pizza.

With cash reserves reaching a record $381.7 billion, Berkshire appears to be exercising caution amid high market valuations. The Omaha-based conglomerate, which owns nearly 200 businesses including BNSF, Dairy Queen, and See’s Candies, has not made a major acquisition in nearly a decade and has paused stock buybacks for over a year.

The latest portfolio shifts underscore Berkshire’s careful positioning ahead of its leadership transition and evolving investment strategy in an increasingly technology-driven market.