{"id":58894,"date":"2026-02-21T11:08:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T15:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/berkshire-trims-tech-as-scotus-voids-global-tariffs\/58894\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T11:08:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T15:08:36","slug":"berkshire-trims-tech-as-scotus-voids-global-tariffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/berkshire-trims-tech-as-scotus-voids-global-tariffs\/58894\/","title":{"rendered":"Berkshire Trims Tech as SCOTUS Voids Global Tariffs"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Berkshire Hathaway (<a href=\"\/stock\/BRK.B\">BRK.B<\/a>)<\/strong> remained a net seller of stocks for the <strong>13th consecutive quarter<\/strong>, slashing its Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>) stake by <strong>77%<\/strong> during Warren Buffett\u2019s final months as CEO.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>U.S. Supreme Court<\/strong> struck down the administration\u2019s global tariffs in a landmark <strong>6-3 ruling<\/strong>, invalidating billions in levies but prompting an immediate <strong>10% replacement tariff<\/strong> via executive order.<\/li>\n<li><strong>UK youth unemployment<\/strong> hit a 10-year high of <strong>16.1%<\/strong> in Q4 2025, as rising minimum wages and payroll taxes reportedly cooled entry-level hiring.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Apollo Global Management (<a href=\"\/stock\/APO\">APO<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Marc Rowan declared an end to Japan\u2019s &quot;lost decades,&quot; citing a structural &quot;reawakening&quot; in Japanese capital markets and corporate investment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Geopolitical tensions<\/strong> escalated as Hezbollah confirmed the death of eight members, including a senior commander, following Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon\u2019s Bekaa region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Berkshire\u2019s Final Buffett Quarter Defined by Tech Divestment<\/h2>\n<p>In his final act as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (<a href=\"\/stock\/BRK.B\">BRK.B<\/a>), Warren Buffett continued a multi-year trend of paring back equity exposure. Regulatory filings reveal that the conglomerate was a <strong>net seller of stocks<\/strong> in Q4 2025, notably reducing its position in Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>) by <strong>77%<\/strong> and continuing to trim its massive stake in Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Despite the broad retreat, Buffett made a significant <strong>$352 million<\/strong> entry into The New York Times Co. (<a href=\"\/stock\/NYT\">NYT<\/a>), acquiring over <strong>5 million shares<\/strong>. The firm also increased its stake in Domino&#39;s Pizza (<a href=\"\/stock\/DPZ\">DPZ<\/a>) for the sixth straight quarter, signaling a preference for <em>brand-heavy consumer staples<\/em> over high-growth technology as the &quot;Oracle of Omaha&quot; transitioned to a Chairman-only role.<\/p>\n<h2>Supreme Court Upends Trade Policy<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>U.S. Supreme Court<\/strong> delivered a major blow to the administration on Friday, ruling that the President lacks the authority to impose global tariffs under the <strong>International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)<\/strong>. The <strong>6-3 decision<\/strong> authored by Chief Justice Roberts emphasized that the power to tax imports resides exclusively with <strong>Congress<\/strong>, potentially opening the door for <strong>$133 billion<\/strong> in corporate refunds.<\/p>\n<p>In a defiant response on Truth Social (<a href=\"\/stock\/DJT\">DJT<\/a>), the President labeled the justices &quot;unpatriotic&quot; and immediately signed a new executive order. This order imposes a <strong>10% global tariff<\/strong> under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, effective <strong>February 24<\/strong>, in an attempt to bypass the court&#39;s specific legal objections.<\/p>\n<h2>Global Economic Strains: UK Jobs and Senegal Debt<\/h2>\n<p>The UK labor market is facing a deepening crisis as youth unemployment surged to <strong>16.1%<\/strong> in the final quarter of 2025. Economists suggest that aggressive <strong>minimum wage hikes<\/strong> and increased <strong>National Insurance contributions<\/strong> have priced younger workers out of the market, with the jobless rate for those aged 16-24 now exceeding the Eurozone average.<\/p>\n<p>In emerging markets, <strong>Senegal<\/strong> successfully raised <strong>$485 million<\/strong> to meet looming Eurobond payments, though investors showed a marked preference for <strong>short-term debt<\/strong>. While the auction averted an immediate default, concerns persist regarding the nation\u2019s <strong>132% debt-to-GDP ratio<\/strong> and the continued suspension of its <strong>$1.8 billion IMF program<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate Shifts and Geopolitical Friction<\/h2>\n<p>The legal landscape for <strong>debt restructuring<\/strong> saw a major shift following the departure of a star partner from <strong>Kirkland &amp; Ellis<\/strong>. The move has reportedly emboldened a primary rival, intensifying the competition for the high-margin, complex &quot;liability management&quot; deals that have become essential for private equity sponsors.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, <strong>Iran<\/strong> continues to grapple with internal instability as student-led anti-regime protests spread. Despite the unrest, Iranian President Pezeshkian maintained a firm stance against &quot;unjust pressures,&quot; even as reports surfaced that <strong>U.S. officials<\/strong> have privately accepted Iran\u2019s &quot;red line&quot; regarding continued <strong>uranium enrichment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) remained a net seller of stocks for the 13th consecutive quarter, slashing its Amazon (AMZN) 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