how much apple stock does berkshire hathaway own

A comprehensive, up-to-date guide on how much Apple stock Berkshire Hathaway owns: number of shares, percent of outstanding stock, value in Berkshire’s portfolio, major transactions (2016–2025), re...

2025-09-02 02:38:00

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Apple Holding

Question: how much apple stock does berkshire hathaway own — and what does that stake mean for Berkshire’s portfolio? This article answers that question with dated figures, a transaction timeline, reporting sources, and practical guidance for verifying holdings.

Background

Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, is one of the world’s largest publicly traded holding companies. Berkshire’s investment approach emphasizes long-term equity ownership, durable competitive advantages, and cash-flow-generating businesses. Apple Inc. (AAPL) is a U.S. technology and consumer electronics company whose shares Berkshire began accumulating in the mid‑2010s.

From a portfolio perspective, Berkshire’s Apple position has been notable because Apple became one of the largest single-stock positions by market value in Berkshire’s equity holdings. The size and visibility of the stake attract attention from investors and media who ask: how much apple stock does berkshire hathaway own at given reporting dates, and how has that amount changed over time?

Acquisition history

Berkshire Hathaway first reported a material position in Apple in 2016. The initial purchases were disclosed over subsequent quarters as Berkshire increased its holdings.

Early purchases (2016–2017): Berkshire built an initial core position in Apple over several quarters beginning in 2016. Public filings and commentary from the company indicate the position was gradually accumulated rather than bought in a single transaction.
Build-up period (2017–2019): Berkshire increased the stake through 2017–2019, becoming one of the company’s largest institutional holders.
Consolidation (2019–2021): By late 2019 and through 2020–2021, Berkshire’s Apple holdings were among the top positions in its equity portfolio by value.

These earlier accumulation steps set the stage for Apple to become a defining equity position for Berkshire Hathaway.

Changes and recent transactions

How much apple stock does berkshire hathaway own has varied noticeably over time. Public reporting (quarterly SEC Form 13F filings and press coverage) shows cycles of net purchases and later trimming.

2023–early 2024: Berkshire maintained hundreds of millions of Apple shares, with filings showing large but relatively stable holdings across quarters.
2024–2025: Media reports and Berkshire disclosures documented sizeable sales in several quarters, reducing the total share count materially compared with earlier peaks. Notable press coverage summarized these sell-offs and provided context for timing and magnitude.

Below is a concise timeline of notable transactions reported in filings and news coverage.

Timeline of significant moves (selected)

2016: Initial disclosed purchases — Berkshire began accumulating Apple shares.
2018–2020: Continued accumulation; position rose substantially through steady buying and favorable market appreciation.
2021 (peak period): Berkshire’s Apple stake reached historic high levels by share count and market value during periods of elevated Apple share price.
2023–2024: Periods of trimming were reported; Berkshire sold portions in some quarters while retaining a substantial core position.
2025 (major reported reductions): Multiple news outlets reported large sales by Berkshire in 2025 that materially reduced share counts from earlier peaks.

Major reported sales (2023–2025)

As media outlets and filings reported, Berkshire executed large sales in 2024 and 2025. Reporting emphasized the scale of sales and the resulting reductions in Berkshire’s Apple position.

As of February 18, 2025, according to CNBC reporting, Berkshire Hathaway’s Apple stake stayed at approximately 300 million shares for a second straight quarter. This indicated a sizable reduction relative to some earlier reported peaks.
As of July 21, 2025, reporting summarized that Berkshire sold a large portion of its stake (one headline described a 67% reduction of a previously held block). That coverage characterized the transactions as meaningful trims to Berkshire’s exposure to Apple in 2025.
As of November 8, 2025, industry coverage noted Apple remained a top holding by value for Berkshire despite earlier 2025 reductions—underscoring how share-price moves and remaining share counts together determine market-value ranking.

Media coverage and Form 13F filings together provide the quarter-by-quarter view that underlies these headlines. Note that press reports sometimes focus on the percent change over a given year or quarter, so readers should consult the relevant 13F quarter to reconcile exact share counts and dates.

Size of the position — shares, percentage, and value

Quantifying Berkshire’s Apple stake requires three complementary metrics: number of shares held, percent of Apple’s outstanding common shares, and market value of the stake (shares × Apple share price). All three change over time because Berkshire trades shares and Apple’s share price moves.

Number of shares: Public reporting has shown large swings. At reported historic highs, some summaries referenced share counts in the high hundreds of millions (a commonly cited peak figure in discussions is around nine‑hundred million shares). By early 2025, filings and news reports referenced materially lower counts — for example, approximately 300 million shares reported in mid‑February 2025 by CNBC. Specific quarter filings are the authoritative source for exact counts at a point in time.
Percent of outstanding shares: Percent stake equals Berkshire’s shares divided by Apple’s total shares outstanding. Because Apple’s shares outstanding change only slowly (through buybacks and issuance), percent changes largely reflect Berkshire’s trading. When Berkshire held its largest share counts, its percent of outstanding shares was materially higher than after the sales reported in 2024–2025.
Market value: Market value is dynamic and depends on Apple’s market price on a given date. A reduced share count can still represent a high market value if Apple’s price has risen. For example, even after sales reported in 2025, industry coverage noted Apple remained one of Berkshire’s largest holdings by market value (reported November 8, 2025).

Important: all numeric figures should be dated when cited. The best sources for dated counts are Berkshire’s quarterly 13F filings and contemporaneous reporting by financial media.

Weight in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio

Apple’s weight in Berkshire’s publicly disclosed equity portfolio has been significant. When Apple shares appreciated and Berkshire held large share counts, Apple often represented the largest single-stock weighting by market value.

As of November 8, 2025, according to industry reporting, Apple continued to rank as Berkshire’s largest holding by market value, despite earlier trimming during 2024–2025.
The weighting matters because Berkshire’s equity results and valuation multiples are sensitive to Apple’s performance. Large single-stock weights can influence earnings-per-share metrics and portfolio volatility.

Analysts and commentators monitor both the absolute market value of Berkshire’s Apple position and its share of Berkshire’s overall invested equity assets to understand concentration risk and exposure.

Regulatory reporting and data sources

To answer how much apple stock does berkshire hathaway own reliably, consult primary, dated sources:

SEC Form 13F: Institutional investment managers managing over a specified threshold file Form 13F each quarter listing long equity holdings. Berkshire’s 13F filings (filed quarterly) show the number of shares and market value for Apple holdings as of the quarter-end reporting date.
Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters and shareholder filings: While Berkshire’s shareholder letter focuses on business progress and strategy, periodic regulatory filings and investor presentations can include commentary about large positions.
Financial news coverage: Outlets such as CNBC, Motley Fool, Yahoo Finance and other reputable business press report on large buys and sells and summarize 13F and other filings. Example dated reporting: as of February 18, 2025 CNBC reported Berkshire’s Apple stake at roughly 300 million shares; as of July 21, 2025, reporting highlighted large sales reducing a previous stake by a substantial percentage.
Third‑party portfolio trackers: Professional trackers aggregate 13F data and other filings to show quarter-by-quarter position changes.

Important limitations and notes:

Form 13F timing: 13F filings are quarterly and disclose holdings as of the quarter-end. They are filed with a lag, so intramonth trades or rapid activity between quarter-end and filing date are not captured in real time.
Short positions and options: 13F lists long equity positions. Investors should not infer options exposure or trades executed off‑exchange unless separately disclosed.

Rationale and commentary

Public explanations and analyst commentary for Berkshire’s original investment in Apple and later trimmings include several recurring themes:

Investment thesis (original accumulation): Berkshire’s leadership emphasized Apple’s durable brand, recurring revenue from services, strong cash flows, and capital return program. These fundamentals fit Berkshire’s long-term investment philosophy.
Reasons for trimming or sales: Reported rationales for reductions have included portfolio rebalancing, tax and capital allocation considerations, and valuation-driven decisions. Company spokespeople and Berkshire executives historically frame trades as portfolio-management moves rather than a repudiation of the underlying business when large long-term holdings are trimmed.
Third-party analysis: Market analysts and financial media provide interpretation about why Berkshire might trim positions (e.g., locking profits, reducing concentration, reallocating capital to cash or other opportunities). Such commentary is interpretive and should be distinguished from Berkshire’s own disclosures.

All explanations should be treated cautiously: Berkshire does not always provide exhaustive public commentary on the exact timing and rationale for each trade.

Market and investor reaction

Large trades by Berkshire attract market attention because they can signal conviction or portfolio rebalancing to other investors.

Price reaction: News of very large sales or purchases may coincide with short-term share-price moves, but the ultimate price impact depends on trade execution, market liquidity, and broader market conditions.
Analyst and media reaction: Media coverage frequently interprets Berkshire’s activity as either a vote of confidence or caution. For example, even after reported sales in 2025, coverage on November 8, 2025 emphasized Apple’s continued prominence in Berkshire’s portfolio by value, tempering any narrative of wholesale divestiture.
Investor interpretation: Some investors view Berkshire’s activity as a signal to examine valuation; others see transactions as portfolio-management that does not necessarily change the long-term view on Apple.

Again, public reaction is varied and interpretive; the underlying facts are the numbers reported in regulatory filings.

Historical performance and impact

Berkshire’s Apple stake contributed substantially to Berkshire’s investment gains in periods when Apple appreciated. Key takeaways:

Realized vs. unrealized gains: If Berkshire sold portions of its stake in profitable windows, some gains were realized. Remaining holdings reflect unrealized gains or losses depending on market moves after the reporting date.
Contribution to portfolio returns: Given Apple’s large weighting by market value at various times, Apple materially influenced Berkshire’s consolidated investment returns and reported investment income in years when Apple’s shares performed strongly.
Cost-basis and holding-period considerations: Public filings sometimes allow analysts to estimate realized profits on sales (when sales are disclosed) by comparing sale proceeds with earlier reported purchases, but precise realized gain figures require detailed transaction-level disclosures that Berkshire does not always provide in granular form.

All calculations should be dated and based on public filings for transparency.

Controversies, reporting discrepancies, and common misconceptions

Large holdings and media attention create potential confusion. Common points of dispute or misunderstanding include:

Timing differences: Because 13F filings disclose quarter‑end holdings with a filing lag, press coverage may appear to conflict with actual trading dates. Always compare the reported quarter-end date with the filing date and news article date.
Share counts vs. economic exposure: Some readers confuse shares reported in 13F with economic exposure that could include options or derivative positions held by affiliates. 13F lists long equity holdings and does not capture all derivative exposures or short positions.
Subsidiaries and ownership: Berkshire owns companies outright and holds equity through affiliated entities. Confirm whether reported shares are held directly by Berkshire or a subsidiary when this distinction matters for interpretation.
Mixing historic peaks with current holdings: Articles that discuss historic highs (for example, reported peak share counts in prior years) might be conflated with more recent quarter‑end counts. Always check the date attached to any numeric claim.

How to verify current holdings

To verify how much apple stock does berkshire hathaway own today, follow these practical steps:

Check Berkshire Hathaway’s most recent SEC Form 13F for the quarter‑end you care about. This filing lists Apple share counts and market values as of the quarter-end date.
Consult Berkshire’s investor relations disclosures and shareholder communications for any additional commentary.
Review reputable financial news outlets’ reporting on the most recent filing (noting the article date).
Use professional portfolio trackers that aggregate 13F data to compare quarter‑over‑quarter changes.

Reminder: 13F filings have a reporting lag and do not capture intramonth trading. For near‑real‑time market activity, follow company filings and press reports, but always reconcile to the official 13F quarter‑end data for precise counts.

References (selected, dated reporting)

As of February 18, 2025, CNBC reported that Berkshire Hathaway’s Apple stake stayed at approximately 300 million shares for a second straight quarter (CNBC, Feb 18, 2025).
As of July 21, 2025, Motley Fool reported that Berkshire executed large sales in 2025 that reduced its Apple stake materially (The Motley Fool, Jul 21, 2025).
As of November 8, 2025, Motley Fool coverage observed that Apple remained Berkshire Hathaway’s largest holding by value despite earlier reductions (The Motley Fool, Nov 8, 2025).
Yahoo Finance has reported on notable sales and commentary related to Warren Buffett and Apple transactions (Yahoo Finance, various dates).
Stockcircle maintains a transaction log summarizing Buffett’s Apple transactions over time (Stockcircle, aggregated transaction data).
Investopedia and Kiplinger provide background on Buffett’s portfolio and investment approach (Investopedia, Kiplinger, background articles).
Wikipedia maintains a list of assets owned by Berkshire Hathaway for reference and cross‑checking (Wikipedia, asset list page).

Notes: numeric share counts and market values are drawn from SEC Form 13F filings and contemporaneous media reports. Always compare the filing quarter date with the article date for accurate interpretation.

Practical next steps for readers

If your goal is to monitor how much apple stock does berkshire hathaway own over time, consider these practical actions:

Track quarterly 13F filings and set calendar reminders for quarter‑end filing windows.
Use reputable data aggregators and financial-news alerts to receive timely summaries of large trades.
For web3 wallet or crypto-related portfolio integration and research tools, consider Bitget Wallet and Bitget’s research tools for tracking assets across markets (note: Bitget is recommended for web3 wallet functionality and exchange services in this article; this is not investment advice).

Further exploration: explore Berkshire’s most recent 13F for precise dated numbers and cross‑check with the dated media reports cited above.

Editorial note on dates and updates

All numeric figures are date‑sensitive. Where this article cites specific share counts or market‑value rankings, the citation includes the report date so readers can reconcile numbers with the public filings for that quarter. Editors should update numeric values after each new 13F filing or Berkshire disclosure.

This article is neutral and factual. It does not offer investment advice or recommendations.

External resources (for verification)

Berkshire Hathaway investor relations and SEC filings (Form 13F)
Major financial news outlets and data aggregators for quarter‑by‑quarter summaries

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