Berkshire Exits Amazon Stake in $14B Portfolio Shuffle, Triples Alphabet
In the first quarter under new CEO Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway fully exited its Amazon position as part of 16 stock sales totaling about $14 billion. During the same period, the firm tripled its Alphabet stake to 58 million shares valued at roughly $17 billion.
1. Full Exit of Amazon Stake
Berkshire Hathaway under CEO Greg Abel completely divested its Amazon position during the first quarter, joining 15 other full exits of major stocks such as Visa, Mastercard and UnitedHealth Group. The Amazon stake was part of roughly $14 billion in total disposals.
2. Portfolio Reshaped Under Greg Abel
Overall trading activity reached one of the busiest quarters in Berkshire's history, with $24 billion in sales and $16 billion in purchases. Greg Abel's restructuring followed the departure of key portfolio manager, prompting a significant reshuffle of the equity book.
3. Growth of Alphabet Holding
Concurrently, Berkshire amplified its exposure to technology by tripling its Alphabet holding. The stake rose from 17.8 million shares valued at $5.6 billion to nearly 58 million shares worth approximately $17 billion, making it one of the five largest equity holdings.
4. New Investments and Tax Implications
New positions included 39.8 million shares of Delta Air Lines valued at $2.8 billion and a $55 million stake in Macy's, marking a return to the airline sector. The company incurred about $2 billion in taxes on equity sales during the quarter.