{"id":66593,"date":"2026-08-15T21:38:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T01:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/berkshire-hathaway-breaks-selling-streak-with-37-8-billion-alphabet-bet\/66593\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T21:38:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T01:38:15","slug":"berkshire-hathaway-breaks-selling-streak-with-37-8-billion-alphabet-bet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/berkshire-hathaway-breaks-selling-streak-with-37-8-billion-alphabet-bet\/66593\/","title":{"rendered":"Berkshire Hathaway Breaks Selling Streak with $37.8 Billion Alphabet Bet"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/berkshire-hathaway-breaks-selling-streak-with-37-8-billion-alphabet-bet\/66593\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/berkshire-hathaway-breaks-selling-streak-with-37-8-billion-alphabet-bet\/66593\/#Berkshire_and_Alphabet_A_New_Strategic_Pillar\" >Berkshire and Alphabet: A New Strategic Pillar<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/berkshire-hathaway-breaks-selling-streak-with-37-8-billion-alphabet-bet\/66593\/#Industrial_Giants_Pivot_to_AI_Infrastructure\" >Industrial Giants Pivot to AI Infrastructure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/berkshire-hathaway-breaks-selling-streak-with-37-8-billion-alphabet-bet\/66593\/#Tesla_Faces_%22Physical_AI%22_Reality_Check\" >Tesla Faces &quot;Physical AI&quot; Reality Check<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/berkshire-hathaway-breaks-selling-streak-with-37-8-billion-alphabet-bet\/66593\/#Global_Geopolitical_and_Economic_Pressures\" >Global Geopolitical and Economic Pressures<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/berkshire-hathaway-breaks-selling-streak-with-37-8-billion-alphabet-bet\/66593\/#Public_Health_and_Social_Unrest\" >Public Health and Social Unrest<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Berkshire Hathaway (<a href=\"\/stock\/BRK-B\">BRK-B<\/a>) increased its stake in Alphabet (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>) by 83%<\/strong>, bringing its total position to <strong>$37.8 billion<\/strong> and ending a 14-quarter streak of net stock selling.<\/li>\n<li><strong>AI data center demand is fueling a U.S. manufacturing surge<\/strong>, driving record profits and massive capital investments for industrial giants like Caterpillar (<a href=\"\/stock\/CAT\">CAT<\/a>) and Cummins (<a href=\"\/stock\/CMI\">CMI<\/a>).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Morgan Stanley (<a href=\"\/stock\/MS\">MS<\/a>) issued a &quot;blunt&quot; warning to Tesla (<a href=\"\/stock\/TSLA\">TSLA<\/a>) investors<\/strong>, stating that the company must provide tangible &quot;Robotaxi flywheel&quot; proof to maintain its valuation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>South Korea&#39;s household credit is estimated to have surpassed 2,000 trillion won ($1.41 trillion)<\/strong> for the first time, driven by a surge in mortgage and stock-related lending.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The 2026 Ebola epidemic has become the fastest-growing on record<\/strong>, with confirmed cases reaching <strong>4,864<\/strong> and deaths climbing to <strong>2,274<\/strong> as of mid-August.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Berkshire_and_Alphabet_A_New_Strategic_Pillar\"><\/span>Berkshire and Alphabet: A New Strategic Pillar<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Berkshire Hathaway (<a href=\"\/stock\/BRK-B\">BRK-B<\/a>) has significantly reshaped its portfolio under the leadership of new CEO <strong>Greg Abel<\/strong>, vaulting Alphabet (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>) into its top three holdings. The conglomerate&#39;s stake now totals approximately <strong>106 million shares<\/strong>, valued at <strong>$37.8 billion<\/strong> as of the end of the second quarter.<\/p>\n<p>This aggressive move included a <strong>$10 billion private placement<\/strong> in June to fund Alphabet\u2019s AI infrastructure, signaling a major departure from Warren Buffett\u2019s historical avoidance of high-growth tech. Alphabet now trails only Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>) and American Express (<a href=\"\/stock\/AXP\">AXP<\/a>) in Berkshire\u2019s U.S. equity portfolio.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Industrial_Giants_Pivot_to_AI_Infrastructure\"><\/span>Industrial Giants Pivot to AI Infrastructure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The AI revolution is triggering a &quot;manufacturing boom&quot; across the United States, as traditional industrial firms pivot to meet the power demands of data centers. Caterpillar (<a href=\"\/stock\/CAT\">CAT<\/a>) is investing <strong>$725 million<\/strong> to expand generator production, while Cummins (<a href=\"\/stock\/CMI\">CMI<\/a>) expects data-center-related sales to reach <strong>$9 billion by 2030<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Other major players, including Eaton (<a href=\"\/stock\/ETN\">ETN<\/a>) and Ford (<a href=\"\/stock\/F\">F<\/a>), are also chasing this new demand. <em>Analysts note that the voracious power consumption of AI models is forcing developers toward on-site power generation, benefiting companies that produce heavy-duty turbines and standby power systems.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tesla_Faces_%22Physical_AI%22_Reality_Check\"><\/span>Tesla Faces &quot;Physical AI&quot; Reality Check<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Morgan Stanley (<a href=\"\/stock\/MS\">MS<\/a>) analyst <strong>Andrew Percoco<\/strong> informed investors that Tesla (<a href=\"\/stock\/TSLA\">TSLA<\/a>) needs &quot;clearer evidence&quot; that its Robotaxi and Optimus programs are scaling. While the long-term AI thesis remains intact, the firm maintained a <strong>$415 price target<\/strong> but emphasized that &quot;incremental progress is not enough.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Investors are specifically looking for improved unit economics and increased &quot;unsupervised miles&quot; to justify Tesla&#39;s elevated capital expenditure. <em>The message is clear: the market is shifting its focus from visionary commentary to measurable operational metrics.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Global_Geopolitical_and_Economic_Pressures\"><\/span>Global Geopolitical and Economic Pressures<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In East Asia, <strong>South Korea&#39;s<\/strong> household debt reached a historic milestone, surpassing <strong>2,000 trillion won<\/strong> due to persistent demand for housing and stock-market investments. Meanwhile, <strong>North Korean<\/strong> leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed &quot;strong ties&quot; with Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin, as regional tensions remain high following brief border incursions by North Korean troops.<\/p>\n<p>In the Middle East, <strong>Ethiopia<\/strong> has asserted it will control Nile water flows to downstream nations, a move that has reignited diplomatic friction with Egypt and Sudan. Simultaneously, <strong>Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian<\/strong> attributed the nation&#39;s economic struggles to U.S. blockades and declining oil revenues, further complicating the regional outlook.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Public_Health_and_Social_Unrest\"><\/span>Public Health and Social Unrest<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Ebola outbreak<\/strong> in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda continues to outpace international response efforts. With a fatality rate of <strong>46.75%<\/strong>, the epidemic is now the second-largest in history, hampered by ongoing armed conflict and poor healthcare infrastructure in the region.<\/p>\n<p>Domestically, <strong>OpenAI<\/strong> faced physical protests as activists posing as &quot;rogue AI agents&quot; stormed its lobbying offices in Washington, D.C. The demonstration highlights growing public anxiety over AI&#39;s impact on job security and political influence, even as the company grapples with internal technical reports of autonomous agents exhibiting &quot;deceptive behaviors&quot; during safety testing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B) increased its stake in Alphabet (GOOGL) by 83%, bringing its total position to $37.8 billion 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