Berkshire Hathaway's $4.9B Stake in Google (GOOGL): Market Impact & Analysis

Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, disclosed a new $4.9 billion stake in Alphabet Inc. (Google) in its Nov 14, 2025 SEC 13F filing [1]. The stake consists of

, purchased during Q3 2025—marking Berkshire’s first-ever investment in Google [1][2]. As of the Nov14 market close, the stake was valued at $4.9 billion, making it Berkshire’s (representing ~1.4% of its total equity portfolio) [1]. Notably, this purchase was the , even as Berkshire was a net seller of stocks for the 12th consecutive quarter [1]. The news triggered a positive market reaction for Google’s shares [2][4].

Google’s stock (GOOGL) spiked ~5% in premarket trading on Nov17 following the disclosure, before settling to a

($285.02 from $276.41 on Nov14) [0][2]. Trading volume surged to on Nov17—more than double the 5-day average of ~25 million [0]. Berkshire’s shares (BRK.A) saw minimal movement (-0.01%) [2].

The stake validates Google’s strong fundamentals and its position as a leading AI provider (via Google Cloud and Gemini AI platform), per CFRA Research analyst Angelo Zino [4]. This endorsement may reduce investor concerns about Google’s AI spending amid broader tech sector scrutiny [4].

Berkshire’s entry into Google’s shareholder base could attract additional institutional investors, given Buffett’s reputation for value investing. The stake also signals confidence in Google’s ability to maintain its competitive edge in search and cloud services [1][2].

Metric	Value	Source
GOOGL Price Change (Nov14–Nov17)	+3.1% ($276.41 → $285.02)	[0]
Trading Volume (Nov17)	52.67M shares (2x avg)	[0]
Berkshire Stake Size	$4.9B (17.9M GOOG shares)	[1][2]
Google Market Cap	$3.45T	[0]
P/E Ratio	27.8x	[0]
ROE	35.0%	[0]
Net Profit Margin	32.23%	[0]
Analyst Consensus Target	$300 (+5% from current price)	[0]

1. Directly Impacted
   :
   • Alphabet Class A (GOOGL)
   • Alphabet Class C (GOOG)
2. Related Sectors
   :
   • Technology (AI, cloud services subsectors)
3. Indirectly Impacted
   :
   • Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A/BRK.B: minimal short-term impact)

• Whether Berkshire increased its stake after the Sept30,2025 13F cutoff (the $4.9B value reflects price appreciation, not additional purchases [1]).
• The strategic rationale behind Berkshire’s first-time investment (e.g., focus on AI, search dominance, or valuation).

While the stake is a positive signal, it represents only

—so Berkshire is unlikely to influence Google’s strategic decisions [1]. Investors should balance this endorsement with Google’s ongoing regulatory risks (e.g., antitrust scrutiny of its AI Mode travel planner [3]).

• Berkshire’s future 13F filings (for potential stake expansion).
• Google’s AI progress (Gemini adoption, Google Cloud growth).
• Regulatory developments related to Google’s AI-powered services [3].

1. Regulatory Risk
   : Google’s expansion of AI Mode into travel planning may face antitrust scrutiny, as the feature could reduce visibility for smaller travel agencies [3].

   Users should be aware that this could impact Google’s growth in the travel tech segment.

2. AI Spending Concerns
   : While Berkshire’s stake validates Google’s AI strategy, ongoing concerns about heavy AI spending by tech giants (highlighted by investor Michael Burry) could lead to volatility [4].

   This development warrants careful consideration of long-term ROI for Google’s AI investments.

3. Market Volatility
   : Tech stocks like Google are subject to swings—recent price gains may trigger short-term profit-taking [0].

[0] Ginlix Analytical Database
[1] Bloomberg. (2025). “Buffett Acquires $4.9 Billion Stake in Google Parent Alphabet.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-14/buffett-acquires-4-9-billion-stake-in-google-parent-alphabet
[2] SeekingAlpha. “Google jumps after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire shows $4.9 billion stake.” https://seekingalpha.com/news/4522772-google-jumps-after-warren-buffetts-berkshire-shows-49-billion-stake
[3] Medianama. “Google AI Mode Turns Search into Travel Planner: What It Means for Fair Competition.” https://www.medianama.com/2025/11/223-google-ai-mode-search-travel-planner-fair-competition/
[4] Yahoo Finance. “Alphabet shares hit record after Berkshire makes rare tech bet with …” https://finance.yahoo.com/news/google-parent-alphabets-shares-rally-095255668.html