• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Exclusive

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

FinanceWarren Buffett

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Just Quadrupled Its Apple Stock Bet

By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 14, 2017, 5:59 PM ET

Apple stock just hit an all-time high for the second day in a row, and Warren Buffett seems to think it can go higher still.

Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) nearly quadrupled its stake in Apple (AAPL) in the final quarter of 2016, the company revealed in a securities filing late Tuesday.

That makes Buffett’s insurance and investing conglomerate one of the tech company’s ten largest shareholders, owning more than 1% of Apple stock, a monster holding currently worth more than $7.7 billion. What’s more, it has already been a profitable investment for Buffett. Thanks to Apple’s breakout 17% rise so far this year, Berkshire has already made more than $1.1 billion on the stock in 2017 alone. (Had Buffett not upped Berkshire’s Apple holding, Buffett’s company would only have made $400 million on the shares it previously owned.)

Buffett has been shifting more of the investing responsibilities at Berkshire Hathaway to two investment managers he hired a few years ago, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler. So it is possible that the Apple investment was initiated by one of his two lieutenants. Still, most of the Berkshire’s biggest investment positions are still driven by Buffett, so it is likely that Apple is his stock pick.

Buffett first bought Apple stock about a year ago, in early 2016. At the time, the move marked a shift in strategy for the investor, who has largely steered clear of technology stocks (and doesn’t even own a smartphone).

But the large size of the position, which makes Apple the seventh largest holding of Berkshire Hathaway, signals that Buffett has embraced the iPhone maker for the long haul. After all, Apple, which trades at a valuation lower than the market average and pays a dividend yielding 1.7%, has many of the hallmarks of a quintessential Buffett stock.

In addition to Apple, Buffett also loaded up on a lot more of the airline stocks he first disclosed late last year, expanding his positions in Delta Air Lines (DAL), United Continental (UAL) and American Airlines (AAL) several times over, and adding a more than $2 billion stake in Southwest Airlines (LUV). Shares of those companies jumped in after-hours trading following Buffett’s disclosure, with American Airlines stock rising more than 2%.

Berkshire Hathaway’s stock portfolio also invested in several new stocks, including a position in Monsanto (MON) worth more than $865 million, as well as a $790 million stake in Sirius XM Holdings, the satellite radio company. Still, it was unclear whether Buffett himself had decided to buy those stocks for the first time, or rather the strategy of one of his two deputies.

Sirius XM stock surged more than 3% after-hours, while Monsanto stock rose as much as 1%.

Apple stock, which had gained 1.3% during regular market hours Tuesday, was up slightly more after Buffett’s filing.

About the Author
By Jen Wieczner
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Mortgage rates today, May 18, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, May 18, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 18, 2026
57 minutes ago
Current refi mortgage rates report for May 18, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for May 18, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 18, 2026
57 minutes ago
Current ARM mortgage rates report for May 18, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for May 18, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 18, 2026
57 minutes ago
Top CD rates today, May 18, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.20%
Personal FinanceBanks
Top CD rates today, May 18, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.20%
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 18, 2026
57 minutes ago
While Detroit blinked on EVs, the Iran war has handed Chinese automakers the opportunity of a lifetime
North AmericaAutos
While Detroit blinked on EVs, the Iran war has handed Chinese automakers the opportunity of a lifetime
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 18, 2026
2 hours ago
Markets are jittery as the global oil crisis bleeds into a global debt selloff, while Trump weighs new military options on Iran
EnergyOil
Markets are jittery as the global oil crisis bleeds into a global debt selloff, while Trump weighs new military options on Iran
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
Economy
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
15 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
Success
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
By Sydney LakeMay 17, 2026
21 hours ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.