Berkshire Hathaway grew its New York Times stake for a second straight quarter, lifting its share count by more than 3.5% between the first and second quarters of 2026. The move comes as the publisher posts double-digit growth in digital subscriptions and advertising.
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) added to its New York Times (NYT) position in the second quarter of 2026, after tripling the stake in the first quarter. The buying pattern points to more than a passing trade.
Berkshire's stake keeps growing
According to the latest 13F filing data, Berkshire held 15.7 million shares of New York Times stock as of June 29, 2026, worth about $1.1 billion. That is up 553,465 shares from the prior quarter, a 3.65% increase. The position now equals 9.78% of the New York Times Company's outstanding shares.
The stake sits alongside other well-known Berkshire holdings, including Alphabet, Apple, Delta Air Lines and several major Japanese trading houses. New York Times stock makes up a small slice of Berkshire's overall portfolio at 0.32%, but the steady buying over two straight quarters suggests a deliberate build.
Subscriber and ad growth behind the timing
The timing lines up with a strong stretch of results for the publisher. In its second-quarter 2026 earnings call, New York Times Company President and CEO Meredith Kopit Levien described a quarter in which the company hit every priority it set for the year.
Digital subscription revenue grew 16.4% year over year to $408 million, and the company added 280,000 net new digital subscribers, pushing total subscribers to 13.4 million. Digital advertising revenue jumped 20.7% to $114 million, beating expectations.
Adjusted operating profit grew 16% to about $155 million, and adjusted diluted earnings per share rose 19% to $0.69. Free cash flow came in around $266 million for the first half of the year, and the company returned about $160 million to shareholders through buybacks and dividends.
According to NYT CEO Meredith Kopit Levien: "we continue to become even more essential to even more people", and she pointed to video as a growth driver going forward. The combination of subscriber growth, pricing power and consistent cash returns is the kind of setup that tends to draw value investing-style buyers.
Outlook and analyst targets
Management expects digital subscription revenue to grow 12% to 15%, with advertising revenue rising in the high single- to low double-digit range. Levien also acknowledged that big tech platforms are sending less traffic to publishers, and that the Times is not immune to that trend.
Analysts forecast the company to grow revenue from $2.82 billion in 2025 to $3.52 billion in 2028, with adjusted earnings per share expanding from $2.46 to $3.38. Out of seven analysts covering the stock, four recommend "Buy" and three recommend "Hold," with an average price target of $78, 17% above the current price.
Source: TheStreet
Trading involves risk.
Risk Disclaimer
