Berkshire Hathaway became a net buyer of stocks for the first time in 15 quarters in the second quarter, deploying $10 billion into a private-placement stake in Alphabet while net income roughly doubled. The conglomerate's cash pile fell to $364.7 billion as CEO Greg Abel also repurchased $4.53 billion of Berkshire's own shares.
Berkshire Hathaway became a net buyer of stocks for the first time in 15 quarters in the second quarter, with Chief Executive Officer Greg Abel steering billions into top holdings such as Alphabet. Net income roughly doubled from a year earlier as the shift took hold.
Alphabet gets a $10 billion private placement
The Alphabet purchase came through a private placement rather than open-market buying. Berkshire paid $351.81 per share for $5 billion of Class A stock and $348.20 per share for $5 billion of Class C stock, a deal announced June 1, 2026. The purchase is part of Alphabet's larger $80 billion equity raise to fund its AI infrastructure buildout.
Profit doubles on investment gains
Net income reached $25.67 billion, or $17,868 per Class A equivalent share, up from $8,601 per share a year earlier. Operating profit across Berkshire's businesses rose 16% to $12.98 billion, lifted by BNSF railway, NetJets and TTI even as GEICO stayed weak. The remaining gain came from $16.08 billion in investment gains, largely unrealized appreciation led by Alphabet alongside Apple, American Express, Bank of America and Coca-Cola.
Cash pile shrinks as Abel resumes buybacks
Berkshire's cash pile fell to $364.7 billion, down from roughly $380 billion the prior quarter. The company also repurchased $4.53 billion of its own shares, a step up from the first quarter, when it resumed buybacks for the first time in more than a year. Abel, who took over from Warren Buffett at the start of the year, has kept balancing short-term Treasuries with targeted investments, and Class A shares fell 0.75% Friday ahead of the earnings release to close at $780,085.97.
Sources: Investing.com, Crypto Briefing
Trading involves risk.
Risk Disclaimer
