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Berkshire & AI Hyperscalers: Buffett Holds GOOGL, Dumps AMZN
Written by Leo Miller. First Published: 2/18/2026.
Key Points
- Berkshire Hathaway's latest 13F filing revealed interesting moves from Q4 2025, especially regarding AI hyperscalers.
- The company initiated a position in a top media company, pushing hard into the digital economy.
- While Berkshire sold a portion of its AAPL holdings, the Magnificent Seven stock remains its largest position.
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Investment giant Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B) just released its Q4 2025 portfolio moves. The company's 13F filing details the trades it made during the quarter ending Dec. 31, providing insight into its views on several notable names. The firm's key portfolio changes include one of the world's most well-known media companies and multiple Magnificent Seven stocks.
This latest round of trades is especially notable because at the end of 2025 Berkshire founder Warren Buffett retired as CEO. Greg Abel has since replaced him; Buffett will remain active as chairman of the board.
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As a result, these were Berkshire's last portfolio moves while Buffett held the company's top management role. After an incredible 60-year run as CEO, Buffett's transition makes this quarter particularly worth examining. Here are Berkshire's most significant Q4 2025 trades.
The New York Times: Berkshire's Shiny New Holding
In Q4, Berkshire initiated a new position in the media outlet New York Times (NYSE: NYT), buying nearly 5.1 million shares. While modest relative to Berkshire's entire portfolio, the stake is meaningful.
At the end of Q4, the position was worth approximately $352 million, or about 0.13% of Berkshire's equity holdings.
NYT shares performed well in Q4, rising roughly 21%, and the stock continued climbing in early 2026. NYT's November earnings report was a key catalyst for the rally.
That quarter, the company added 460,000 net new digital subscribers, a 77% year-over-year increase. Digital advertising revenue also grew by 20%. Digital-ad growth has accelerated each quarter since Q4 2023 and rose to 25% in NYT's latest earnings.
Berkshire's purchase signals confidence in NYT's digital-transformation strategy, which has gained significant traction.
Berkshire Reduces Apple Stake, Trims Several Names
Notably, Berkshire trimmed its stake in Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) by about 4% during Q4, continuing a recent pattern of selling the iPhone maker. In Q2 2025 it reduced Apple holdings by roughly 7%, then trimmed another 15% in Q3 2025.
Even after the reductions, Apple remains Berkshire's largest position, valued at nearly $62 billion at the end of Q4 — roughly 23% of Berkshire's equity portfolio — indicating continued long-term confidence.
Other notable reductions include selling about 48% of its Atlanta Braves (NASDAQ: BATRK) stake, a 9% cut in Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), and a 3% trim of Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ). But the biggest headline was Berkshire's sale of hyperscaler and Magnificent Seven giant Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN).
AMZN vs GOOGL: Berkshire Dumps One, Holds the Other
During the quarter, Berkshire sold more than 7.7 million Amazon shares, reducing its holdings from about 10 million to roughly 2.3 million shares — a roughly 77% decrease. This was Berkshire's first sizeable AMZN sale since Q3 2023, when it pared its position from about 11 million to 10 million shares.
The rationale for such a large sale is open to interpretation. Notably, Amazon reached an all-time closing high of $254 in Q4 and has since fallen about 20%. Approaching that peak may have prompted profit-taking.
It's also possible Berkshire anticipated Amazon's aggressive capital-expenditure guidance. Amazon plans roughly $200 billion in CapEx for 2026 — the highest among hyperscalers and about $50 billion above analyst expectations, according to reports. That guidance was a major factor putting downward pressure on AMZN after its latest earnings report.
By contrast, Berkshire left its position in Amazon's cloud rival, Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL), essentially unchanged, despite Alphabet also hitting new highs in Q4. That suggests Berkshire may be more confident in Google's cloud and AI strategy than Amazon's.
Analysts' Short-Term Targets vs. Berkshire's Long-Term View
One of the most notable takeaways from Berkshire's Q4 13F is what it didn't do as much as what it did. Selling Amazon while maintaining Alphabet signals a clear preference for Google's long-term prospects.
Analysts, however, tend to paint a different near-term picture. The consensus price target on AMZN implies roughly 43% upside, while the consensus target on GOOGL implies about 20% upside. Remember, price targets are typically 12-month forecasts. Berkshire's investment horizon is usually measured in years, so its trades likely reflect where it sees long-term value rather than short-term upside estimates.
Wendy's Stock Is Cheap, But Can the Turnaround Actually Work?
Written by Thomas Hughes. First Published: 2/17/2026.
Key Points
- Wendy's is well-positioned to rebound, but the timing is questionable amid competitors taking market share.
- Analysts are trimming targets but remain highly confident in the Hold rating.
- Institutions and short-sellers have the market set up to be squeezed when a catalyst emerges.
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Wendy’s (NASDAQ: WEN) stock is down significantly from its highs, presenting a deep-value opportunity for investors. Trading at roughly 12x this year's earnings and under 8x the 2030 forecast, the valuation implies a large upside relative to industry leaders. The key question is whether the company can execute a turnaround. The international growth story remains intact and supports results today, but self-inflicted problems in the core U.S. market will weigh on performance this year.
The good news is management acknowledges several missteps and is taking corrective action. The bad news is public perception is slow to change: the company lost market share to competitors such as McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) and is struggling to regain traffic. Several quarters of declining U.S. comps, margin pressure, and tepid guidance have hurt sentiment.
Analysts Lead Wendy’s Stock to Long-Term Low
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Wendy’s analyst trends are bearish, skewing toward the low end of the target range. Those revisions point to another low single-digit decline versus mid-February levels, but there is a silver lining.
Some indicators are more encouraging. The number of analysts covering Wendy’s rose in 2025 and is up about 30% to 26 analysts in Q1 2026. Despite ongoing headwinds, analysts rate the stock a Hold, with a 62% conviction rate and an even split between Sell and Buy ratings.
Analysts have pushed the stock to long-term lows and suggest a price floor near $7, consistent with those lows. Consensus also implies roughly a 30% upside from current levels. The obvious question is what could trigger that move — a clear candidate would be improving earnings that translate into stronger free cash flow and a credible capital-return plan.
Wendy’s has already trimmed its dividend and dialed back buybacks. Absent faster improvement, the dividend could face further cuts or suspension.
Free cash flow is declining but remains positive and is currently sufficient to cover payouts. The 2025 free cash flow payout ratio is about 62% — elevated, but leaving some room for debt service. The balance sheet shows lower cash and reduced current and total assets, coupled with higher long-term debt and liabilities, producing a more than 50% decline in equity. Shareholder equity stands at roughly $117.3 million and leverage is high: long-term debt is about 23x equity and ~0.6x total assets.
Short-Sellers Set Wendy’s Market Up for Rebound
Short-sellers remain a headwind. Short interest is near historical highs — roughly 20% of the float as of late January — and that elevated short interest will limit any near-term rally until it moderates. The upside is that, when the sentiment shift arrives, the rebound could be steep.
Institutional investors own more than 85% of the stock, providing a steady base of support; institutions appear to have accumulated shares as the price fell. Buying activity in early 2026 outpaced selling by about two-to-one, suggesting a potential tailwind once a turnaround begins.
From a technical standpoint, the critical support level sits near long-term lows established during the COVID panic — around $6.82, slightly below the low-end analyst target of $7. Indicators such as the MACD and the stochastic oscillator show the stock is deeply oversold, and rising trading volume on the recent decline suggests buyers are already stepping in.
Volume has increased as the price fell, consistent with bargain hunting. Still, if upcoming results disappoint or show no meaningful improvement, any rebound could stall — and there is a risk of new lows, which might prompt a deeper selloff. Management assumes weak comparable-store sales will persist, is planning additional store closures to improve footprint efficiency, and has guided revenue and earnings below consensus.
Consumer Tailwinds Can Be a Catalyst for Wendy’s
Early signs point to consumer tailwinds in 2026. Labor markets remain resilient, supporting broad employment, and tax refunds this year appear larger than last. Initial data indicate refunds are averaging more than 10% higher than in 2025 — a positive for consumers and consumer stocks. If these trends sustain, they could help traffic and sales at quick-service restaurants like Wendy’s.
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