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

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

2

After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history

3

Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026

1

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

2

After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history

3

Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
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
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

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
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

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

sb
Commentarynational debt
The national debt is over 100% of GDP and most of Congress is ignoring wishes to rein it in. It’s time to amend the Constitution
By Steve H. Hanke and David M. WalkerJuly 15, 2026
2 hours ago
Cantor Fitzgerald eyes blockchain-based IPO shares in new tie-up with Securitize
CryptoCantor Fitzgerald
Cantor Fitzgerald eyes blockchain-based IPO shares in new tie-up with Securitize
By Jeff John RobertsJuly 15, 2026
3 hours ago
Current price of gold as of July 15, 2026
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of July 15, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 15, 2026
3 hours ago
19 of Cyclops' members stand smiling at the camera from their offices in Vienna, Austria.
CryptoVenture Capital
Exclusive: Cyclops raises $20 million to help payment companies settle faster with stablecoins
By Camila Grigera NaónJuly 15, 2026
3 hours ago
iran
EnergyIran
‘Either for everyone or for no one’: Iran turns oil into a weapon again
By Jon Gambrell and The Associated PressJuly 15, 2026
3 hours ago
xi
EconomyChina
China’s economy slows to weakest quarterly growth in 3 years
By Chan Ho-Him and The Associated PressJuly 15, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
Newsletters
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
By Sydney LakeJuly 14, 2026
23 hours ago
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
North America
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 14, 2026
22 hours ago
Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 14, 2026
1 day ago
'He found their weakness. It might have been sex. It might be power': Warren Buffett stunned by Epstein pull as he snubs Gates Foundation
Banking
'He found their weakness. It might have been sex. It might be power': Warren Buffett stunned by Epstein pull as he snubs Gates Foundation
By Josh Funk and The Associated PressJuly 14, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 14, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 14, 2026
1 day 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.