He retired. On December 31, 2025, Warren Buffett officially stepped down as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, handing the keys to Greg Abel. But don't think for a second the "Oracle of Omaha" is sitting on a porch in Nebraska just watching the corn grow. The most recent data reveals a massive shift in how the world's most famous value investor—and his hand-picked successors—are viewing the market in early 2026.
Honestly, the warren buffett most recent stock purchases tell a story of a man who is finally, somewhat begrudgingly, making peace with the Silicon Valley giants he ignored for decades. For years, Buffett's "circle of competence" was built on soda, insurance, and railroads. If it didn't have a physical engine or a sugary syrup, he didn't want it. Now? The portfolio looks surprisingly high-tech.
The Big Surprise: Alphabet and the Tech Pivot
The biggest headline from the most recent filings isn't a new railroad or a furniture store. It's Google. Or rather, Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL). Berkshire Hathaway picked up a massive 17.8 million shares, a position valued at roughly $4.3 billion.
This wasn't some speculative gamble on a whim. Buffett and his investment officers, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, waited for a specific window in late 2025 when Alphabet was trading at about 25 times forward earnings. They saw a "moat" in Gemini and Google’s AI infrastructure that the rest of the market was too nervous to value properly. It's classic Buffett: wait for the crowd to panic about "AI disruption" and then buy the company actually doing the disrupting at a discount.
- Alphabet (GOOGL): 17.8 million shares added.
- Apple (AAPL): While they’ve been trimming this for quarters, it remains the largest holding at roughly $60 billion.
- Amazon (AMZN): Held steady, with the team clearly betting on AWS’s dominance in the 2026 cloud landscape.
It’s kinda funny when you think about it. The guy who once said he didn't understand tech is now basically a tech mogul. Between Apple and Alphabet, nearly a third of his equity portfolio is tied to the "Magnificent Seven" ecosystem.
Buffett's Final Moves and the $400 Billion Warning
You've probably heard about the cash. It’s the elephant in the room. As of January 2026, Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on a record-shattering $400 billion in cash and short-term Treasuries.
That is an insane amount of money to have just sitting there. Why aren't they buying more? Basically, Buffett thinks the market is "frothy." Even with the recent buys in Alphabet, Berkshire has been a net seller of stocks for 12 consecutive quarters. They are hoarding cash like they're preparing for a storm.
One of the more interesting warren buffett most recent stock purchases isn't a stock at all—it's Silver. Rumors from the latest 13-F filings suggest Buffett moved back into the precious metal market in late 2025, a move he hasn't made since the 1960s. It’s a hedge. It’s a way of saying, "I don't trust the dollar or the current P/E ratios of the S&P 500."
Recent Shifts in the Top 10
| Company | Recent Action | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Chubb Ltd (CB) | Increased stake by 15.9% | Buffett loves insurance float; it's his "bread and butter." |
| Domino's Pizza (DPZ) | Added 348,077 shares | A classic "forever" brand with a digital moat. |
| Occidental Petroleum (OXY) | Bought OxyChem for $9.7B | Doubling down on energy and chemicals as a hedge. |
| Bank of America (BAC) | Reduced stake by 6% | Trimming winners to pad that massive cash pile. |
Why the Oracle is Buying Pizza and Insurance Now
If you look at the warren buffett most recent stock purchases, you'll notice a weird mix of ultra-modern tech and old-school comfort food. He added to Domino's Pizza and Sirius XM.
Why? Because even in 2026, people still eat pizza and listen to the radio when they're stuck in traffic. These companies have what he calls "pricing power." If the price of flour goes up, Domino's raises the price of a pepperoni pie by fifty cents, and nobody stops buying. That’s the secret sauce.
He also significantly upped his stake in Chubb Limited, the insurance giant. This isn't sexy. It won't trend on TikTok. But insurance companies provide "float"—money that Berkshire gets to hold and invest before they have to pay out claims. In a high-interest-rate environment like we’re seeing in early 2026, that float is basically a printing press for money.
Greg Abel’s Era: What Changes for You?
With Greg Abel now officially in the CEO chair, the "Buffett way" is evolving. Analysts like Matt DiLallo at The Motley Fool expect Berkshire to finally do the unthinkable: pay a dividend. For decades, Buffett refused, saying he could grow the money better than you could. With $400 billion in the bank, even Abel might struggle to find enough "elephants" to hunt.
We're already seeing Abel's influence in the Occidental Petroleum deal. The $9.7 billion acquisition of OxyChem (the chemical unit of Occidental) was a massive industrial play. It shows that while Buffett is retiring, the company is doubling down on hard assets—energy, chemicals, and infrastructure.
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The "Hidden" Tech Buys
Don't ignore the smaller moves. Berkshire increased its position in Lennar Corp (LEN), the homebuilder. In a world where everyone is talking about virtual reality and AI, Buffett is betting on the fact that people still need houses made of wood and nails. It’s a brilliant contrarian play. While everyone chases the "metaverse," he’s buying the guy who builds the kitchen you stand in while wearing your VR headset.
Actionable Insights: How to Invest Like Berkshire in 2026
You shouldn't just blind-copy the warren buffett most recent stock purchases. You don't have $400 billion, and you probably can't afford to wait 20 years for a return. But you can steal his logic.
- Look for the "Laggard" Moats: Alphabet was a "laggard" in the AI race for six months. Buffett bought when the sentiment was low. Look for great companies that are currently being "bullied" by the news cycle.
- Cash is a Position: You don't always have to be 100% invested. If everything looks expensive, it’s okay to hold some high-yield savings or short-term bonds. Buffett is doing it; why shouldn't you?
- Focus on Pricing Power: In an inflationary 2026, only buy companies that can raise prices without losing customers. Think Coca-Cola, American Express, or even Domino's.
- Watch the 13-F Filings: The next major update is due February 14, 2026. This will reveal the "final" trades Buffett made before his official retirement. Mark your calendar.
The real lesson of the warren buffett most recent stock purchases isn't about any specific ticker symbol. It's about discipline. He's retiring with the largest cash pile in history because he refused to pay 40 times earnings for companies he didn't fully trust. Whether you’re buying your first share of an ETF or managing a massive portfolio, that kind of patience is the only real way to win the long game.
Follow the 13-F filings at the SEC’s EDGAR database to see the exact share counts for the first quarter of 2026 as they go public. Check for updates on the Berkshire Hathaway investor relations page to see if Greg Abel initiates that rumored first-ever dividend.