Warren Buffett, Greg Abel buy 8 stocks: Alphabet, Delta, Lennar, D.R. Horton among Berkshire bets
Berkshire Hathaway has ended its long stock-selling streak. For 14 straight quarters, the company sold more stocks than it bought. But Berkshire’s second-quarter 2026 13F filing showed that it became a net buyer of stocks for the first time in more than three years.
The buying came as Berkshire moved into a new leadership era. Greg Abel is now Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO and is officially responsible for deploying the company’s capital. However, Warren Buffett is still involved in major investment decisions, much like he was during his more than six decades leading Berkshire, according to The Motley Fool.
Berkshire Hathaway bought eight stocks
Buffett and Abel bought eight stocks during the second quarter of 2026. Most of these were additions to companies Berkshire already owned. Only one stock was a completely new position for Berkshire in the quarter, according to the company’s 13F filing.
D.R. Horton was the only brand-new position. Berkshire bought a small stake in homebuilder D.R. Horton, worth less than $600,000 at the end of Q2. The company was not completely unfamiliar to Buffett. Berkshire had owned D.R. Horton shares before but sold the position last year.
Berkshire boosts Alphabet stake
Berkshire also bought more Lennar shares. The company increased its holdings in homebuilder Lennar, adding both Class A and Class B shares. This means Berkshire continued to increase its exposure to the US housing market. Alphabet was by far one of Berkshire’s biggest moves. Berkshire sharply increased its investment in Google parent Alphabet during Q2. Its Class A shareholding rose by 45%, while its Class C shareholding jumped by a massive 658%, according to the filing.
Buffett himself confirmed that he was behind the Alphabet investment. In a July interview with CNBC, Buffett said he was the person who had driven Berkshire’s major investment in Alphabet. This makes the purchase especially important because it shows Buffett still has a direct role in some of Berkshire’s biggest investment decisions.
Buffett backs Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines was another major purchase. Berkshire increased its stake in Delta Air Lines by about 44% during the quarter. The move is notable because Buffett has historically been highly critical of the airline industry.
Buffett once called the airline industry a terrible investment. In a 2007 letter to Berkshire shareholders, Buffett described the US airline industry as a “bottomless pit.” The decision to buy more Delta shares could therefore show that Buffett has changed his view, or that Greg Abel has had more influence over the investment.
Delta’s stronger position in the airline market could be one reason for the purchase. Delta has positioned itself as a premium airline, which could make it different from the weaker airline businesses Buffett criticized in the past. The Motley Fool said the purchase may reflect either Abel’s influence or Buffett changing his mind about the sector.
The company modestly increased its position in Macy’s, but the investment remains very small compared with Berkshire’s overall stock portfolio. Even after the purchase, Macy’s represented 0.3% or less of Berkshire’s portfolio.
Macy’s fits Buffett’s value strategy
Macy’s may fit Buffett’s value-investing style. The retailer’s shares were down about 17% year-to-date at the beginning of Q2, while the stock was trading at around 10.3 times forward earnings. That low valuation could have made the company attractive to a value-focused investor like Buffett.
The New York Times was another small addition. Berkshire also bought more shares of The New York Times. Like Macy’s, the position remained tiny, accounting for 0.3% or less of Berkshire’s overall portfolio after the Q2 purchase. The New York Times fits Buffett’s long-standing interest in newspapers. Buffett has historically liked the newspaper business. The company’s progress in building its digital media business could also make the investment more attractive as the traditional newspaper industry changes.
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Housing stocks gain Berkshire’s attention
Housing appears to be another important theme behind Berkshire’s Q2 buying. Berkshire bought D.R. Horton and added to Lennar. The company also recently acquired homebuilder Taylor Morrison, showing that Berkshire has been increasing its exposure to the US housing market.
The US housing shortage could benefit homebuilders. There is still a gap between the supply of new homes and demand from buyers in the US That shortage could create favorable conditions for large homebuilders such as D.R. Horton, Lennar and Taylor Morrison, according to The Motley Fool.
Why Buffett likes Alphabet
Alphabet stands out as the biggest story among the purchases. Buffett has openly admitted that he made a mistake by not investing in Google earlier. He understands that Google has built a huge advertising business, largely because of its dominance in internet search. But the Alphabet purchase is about more than correcting an old mistake. The size of Berkshire’s new investment suggests Buffett sees strong long-term potential in Alphabet. The Motley Fool argues that Buffett would not have personally led such a large investment simply to make up for missing the stock years ago.
Alphabet now ranks as Berkshire’s fourth-largest stock position. When its Class A and Class C shares are combined, Alphabet has become one of the biggest holdings in Berkshire’s portfolio. Alphabet has exposure to several major technology trends. Google’s Gemini is one of the leading artificial intelligence models. Its Google Cloud business is growing quickly among the major cloud providers. Waymo is a major player in autonomous ride-hailing, while Google Quantum AI is working on quantum computing.
Alphabet’s valuation is another reason it may appeal to Buffett. The company’s shares were trading at less than 17 times forward earnings, according to The Motley Fool. That was the lowest valuation among the so-called Magnificent Seven stocks. The bigger message is that Berkshire is buying again. After more than three years of being a net seller of stocks, Berkshire turned into a net buyer in Q2 2026. The purchases also show a mix of Buffett’s traditional value-investing approach, exposure to housing, and a major bet on technology through Alphabet.
Among the eight stocks, Alphabet is the clear standout. Buffett’s personal involvement, Berkshire’s huge increase in Alphabet shares and the company’s exposure to AI, cloud computing, autonomous vehicles and quantum technology make Alphabet the most important purchase from Berkshire’s latest quarter, according to The Motley Fool.