Berkshire deepens investment in Alphabet

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B) made a substantial addition to its Alphabet stake in the second quarter of 2026, based on its latest portfolio snapshot and 13F filing. The conglomerate acquired roughly 48.1 million additional Alphabet shares during the period, bringing its total position to about 106 million shares as of June 30, 2026. This marks a notable repositioning of Berkshire’s equity portfolio around one of the largest U.S. technology companies.

The new disclosure, covering holdings at the end of the second quarter, was released in mid-August 2026. It provides the clearest view yet of how Berkshire allocated capital during the quarter, highlighting Alphabet as one of the main beneficiaries of its investment activity.

The increase in Berkshire’s Alphabet stake was executed through both a private transaction and open-market buying. Approximately 60% of the roughly 48.1 million shares added in the quarter came from a $10 billion private placement with Alphabet in June 2026. This transaction involved Berkshire purchasing newly issued shares directly from Alphabet, representing the bulk of the quarter’s incremental stake.

The remaining portion of the added shares was purchased on the open market. While the exact number and timing of these market buys are not detailed in the filings, the split between the private placement and open-market activity shows Berkshire using a mix of negotiated and market-based channels to scale up its position.

Following the second-quarter buying, Alphabet now ranks among Berkshire’s most significant equity holdings. By market value, the position has become Berkshire’s third-largest U.S.-listed stock investment. Only Apple (AAPL) and American Express (AXP) are larger in the portfolio, underscoring the importance now assigned to Alphabet within Berkshire’s publicly traded holdings.

This shift places Alphabet alongside long-standing core positions in Berkshire’s portfolio. The updated ranking reflects both the size of the second-quarter share additions and Alphabet’s market capitalization, reinforcing the company’s role as a key pillar of Berkshire’s U.S.-listed equity strategy as of June 30, 2026.

Details of Berkshire’s Alphabet purchases emerged through its regular quarterly portfolio reporting. The figures relating to the roughly 48.1 million additional shares and the total of about 106 million shares are drawn from the company’s second-quarter 2026 13F and associated portfolio snapshot. These filings, made public in mid-August 2026, provide a dated but comprehensive view of Berkshire’s equity positions at the close of the quarter.

While the filings do not detail Berkshire’s day-to-day trading decisions, they confirm that the firm committed a significant amount of capital to Alphabet over the quarter. Combined with the structured $10 billion private placement in June, the disclosed data indicate a coordinated effort to elevate Alphabet to a top-tier holding in Berkshire’s U.S.-listed stock portfolio.