Berkshire’s CEO Greg Abel Invests $40B, Making Alphabet Their Top Holding
In a remarkable display of post-Buffett audacity, Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO, Greg Abel, has invested nearly $40 billion in equities during the first half of 2026. This is a nearly fivefold increase compared to the same period last year. The standout move: a substantial wager on Alphabet (Google), which has now surpassed Apple as Berkshire’s single largest portfolio holding for the first time in years.
Berkshire’s Q2 operating earnings soared 16% to $12.98 billion, propelled by strength in the energy sector (+27%), manufacturing (+24%), and railroad BNSF (+6%). The conglomerate also repurchased approximately $4.5 billion of its own shares during the quarter — a significant leap from just $235 million in buybacks the previous quarter. This signals Abel’s growing confidence in Berkshire’s intrinsic value. The cash pile, inherited from Warren Buffett at a record $397.4 billion, declined to $365.5 billion at June 30. This was due to capital being deployed through stock purchases, buybacks, and the conclusion of the $6.8 billion acquisition of homebuilder Taylor Morrison.
Abel justified Alphabet as a core holding by highlighting the company’s AI data center returns and high-margin cash generation. Berkshire’s total equity portfolio reached $323.8 billion at June 30, up from $297.8 billion at the end of 2025. Wall Street is keenly observing as the new era of Berkshire capital allocation unfolds.