Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is reshaping its technology portfolio, trimming its long-held Apple position while making a fresh bet on Alphabet, the parent company of Google. New regulatory filings show that the investment giant reduced its exposure to Apple during the third quarter and redirected capital toward Alphabet, signaling a growing focus on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital advertising.
During the quarter, Berkshire sold 41.7 million Apple shares. As a result, Apple now accounts for about 21% of Berkshire’s overall portfolio. This move continues a longer trend: over the past two years, Berkshire has cut its Apple stake by roughly 74%. Even after the reduction, Apple remains one of Berkshire’s largest holdings, highlighting that the move is more about rebalancing than abandoning the iPhone maker.
Apple’s business fundamentals remain solid. For the September quarter, the company reported revenue of $102 billion, up 8% year over year. Growth was driven by steady demand for iPhones, Macs, and services. On a non-GAAP basis, net income rose 13% to $1.85 per share, supported by improving margins and ongoing share buybacks.
Looking ahead, Apple is leaning heavily on its massive ecosystem. The company says its installed base now exceeds 2.35 billion devices worldwide. That scale is becoming even more important as Apple rolls out its Apple Intelligence platform. Introduced last year, the suite brings generative AI features to newer devices at no additional cost for now. Apple has already hinted that paid tiers could arrive in the coming years, opening the door to new revenue streams tied to AI services.
While Berkshire was cutting back on Apple, it was also building a new position in Alphabet. The firm purchased 17.8 million Alphabet shares during the quarter, giving the stock an approximate 2% weighting in Berkshire’s portfolio. Alphabet, which has delivered a staggering 12,180% return since its 2004 IPO, now boasts a market capitalization of about $3.7 trillion, making it the world’s third-largest company by market value.
The Alphabet investment is notable given Buffett’s long-standing reluctance to invest heavily in technology stocks. Alphabet’s broad business mix—spanning search advertising, cloud services, and autonomous driving—appears to fit Berkshire’s evolving view of where long-term value lies, particularly as AI becomes more deeply embedded across industries.
Taken together, the moves suggest Berkshire is not stepping away from tech, but refining its exposure. By reducing its Apple stake and adding Alphabet, Berkshire is shifting toward companies with expanding roles in AI, data, and cloud infrastructure—areas that could define the next phase of growth in the technology sector.
Also Read: Bitcoin vs. Gold Debate Heats Up as Returns Converge Near Year-End
