Berkshire Hathaway more than tripled its investment in Alphabet, the parent company of Google, during the first three months of 2026, acquiring enough shares to bring its total holding to nearly 58 million shares worth almost $17 billion at the end of March, according to a quarterly securities filing disclosed Friday. The move marks the largest portfolio shift yet under Greg Abel, who succeeded Warren Buffett as chief executive officer of the Omaha-based conglomerate at the start of the year.
The same filing shows Berkshire purchased over $2.6 billion in Delta Air Lines stock — roughly 40 million shares — and established a smaller new position in Macy’s valued at nearly $55 million. At the same time, Berkshire exited holdings in Visa, Mastercard, Domino’s Pizza, Amazon, and United Healthcare. The exits follow the departure late last year of Todd Combs, who was one of two investment managers Buffett had brought in to help oversee the company’s $280 billion stock portfolio.
Buffett, now 95, was famously reluctant to invest in technology companies throughout his career, saying he did not understand them well enough to identify long-term winners. He made one major exception late in his tenure by building a massive stake in Apple after recognizing how devoted consumers had become to its iPhones and computers. Abel appears more comfortable with tech exposure: the Alphabet stake grew from 17.8 million shares worth $5.6 billion at the end of 2024 to nearly 58 million shares three months later.
The Delta purchase represents a return to a sector Buffett had publicly soured on. In a 2008 letter to shareholders, Buffett wrote that “if a farsighted capitalist had been present at Kitty Hawk, he would have done his successors a huge favor by shooting Orville down,” arguing that no airline has ever maintained a durable competitive advantage. Buffett had bought and later sold airline stocks more than once over the years; Abel’s first-quarter purchases signal a different view.
Berkshire does not comment on the moves it makes within its portfolio from quarter to quarter, and the company declined to discuss the reasoning behind the latest changes. Earlier this month, Abel led his first annual shareholders meeting as CEO while Buffett sat on the floor with the rest of the board of directors — a visual break from decades in which Buffett commanded the stage alone.
For decades, investors tracked Berkshire’s quarterly 13-F filings to copy Buffett’s stock picks. That dynamic may change as Abel establishes his own record. Abel has spent his career operating companies within Berkshire’s portfolio, notably its collection of major utilities, rather than selecting stocks. His investment philosophy will take shape over multiple quarters of disclosures.
Two of the newly disclosed holdings saw immediate market reactions Friday. Shares of Delta and Macy’s both rose after the SEC filing became public; Alphabet’s stock price was largely unchanged. In addition to its investment portfolio, Berkshire owns dozens of operating businesses outright, including insurer Geico, the BNSF railroad, manufacturer Precision Castparts, and retail brands such as Helzberg Diamonds, See’s Candy, and Dairy Queen.