Analysis Report: Berkshire Hathaway's New Stake in Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) and Apple Position Trim

On November 14, 2025 (EST), Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a new $4.3 billion stake in Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) via its Q3 2025 13F regulatory filing [1][2]. The stake comprises ~17.9 million shares, making Alphabet the 10th largest holding in Berkshire’s portfolio [1][2]. Concurrently, Berkshire trimmed its position in Apple Inc. (AAPL) by15%—selling ~42 million shares to reduce its stake from280 million to238.2 million shares—though Apple remains Berkshire’s largest holding [2]. The move is notable given Buffett’s historical caution toward high-growth tech companies and comes ahead of his planned retirement as CEO at the end of2025 [1][2].

The disclosure had an immediate positive effect on Alphabet’s stock price:

• Alphabet closed at $276.41 on November14 (disclosure day), up1.84% from the previous day [0].
• Apple’s stock closed up 0.5% on the same day, indicating minimal negative impact from the trim [0].

The broader Technology sector rose2.03% on November14, aligning with Alphabet’s positive performance [0]. The Communication Services sector (another common classification for Alphabet) declined 2.21% that day, but the tech sector’s gain dominated [0].

Berkshire’s endorsement of Alphabet signals a positive sentiment shift for the company, as the conglomerate’s value investing track record is widely trusted by institutional and retail investors [1][2].

Metric	Value	Source
Berkshire’s Alphabet Stake	$4.3 billion (17.9M shares)	[1][2]
Alphabet’s November14 Gain	+1.84%	[0]
Apple’s Stake Reduction	15% (from280M → 238.2M shares)	[2]
Alphabet’s Market Cap	$3.34 trillion	[0]
Alphabet’s P/E Ratio	26.89x	[0]
Alphabet’s ROE	35%	[0]
Alphabet’s Net Profit Margin	32.23%	[0]

• Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)
  : Positive short-term price movement due to Berkshire’s vote of confidence.
• Apple Inc. (AAPL)
  : Minimal impact, as Apple remains Berkshire’s largest holding.

• Technology
  : Up 2.03% on November14, driven by Alphabet’s performance [0].
• Communication Services
  : Down2.21% (secondary classification for Alphabet) [0].

• Rationale
  : Berkshire did not disclose explicit reasons for choosing Alphabet (e.g., AI-driven cloud growth, valuation relative to Apple) [1][2].
• Future Moves
  : Unclear if Berkshire will increase its Alphabet stake or further trim Apple in upcoming quarters.

• Value Angle
  : Alphabet’s strong profitability (35% ROE, 32% margin) and reasonable P/E ratio align with Berkshire’s value criteria [0].
• Growth Angle
  : Alphabet’s45.92% YTD gain and AI initiatives (e.g., Gemini) make it an attractive growth play [0].

• Berkshire’s next13F filing (Q42025) for stake changes.
• Alphabet’s cloud revenue growth and AI product adoption [0].
• Regulatory developments affecting big tech (antitrust, data privacy) [0].

• Regulatory Risk
  : Users should be aware that Alphabet faces ongoing antitrust and data privacy scrutiny globally, which may impact its future growth [0].
• Competition Risk
  : Intense competition from Microsoft (AI/cloud) and AWS (cloud) could pressure Alphabet’s market share and margins [0].
• Portfolio Shift Risk
  : Berkshire’s move away from Apple signals a potential shift in tech investment strategy post-Buffett’s retirement, warranting careful monitoring [1][2].

[0] Ginlix Analytical Database (internal tools: get_stock_daily_prices, get_stock_realtime_quote, get_company_overview, get_sector_performance).
[1] MLQ.ai. (2025). “Berkshire Hathaway Discloses Major Stake in Google Parent Alphabet.” [URL: https://mlq.ai/news/berkshire-hathaway-discloses-major-stake-in-google-parent-alphabet/].
[2] Yahoo Finance. (2025). “Berkshire Hathaway reveals $4.3 billion stake in Alphabet, cuts Apple.” [URL: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/berkshire-hathaway-reveals-4-3-222909470.html].

: This analysis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always conduct your own research before making financial decisions.