Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel has begun deploying the holding's massive cash pile, accumulated during the latter years of Warren Buffet's tenure as head of the company.
The holding's cash pile decreased by more than $30 billion during the second quarter, CNBC detailed. Actions included repurchasing billions of its own shares and about $20 billions in net purchases of stocks. A key investment was Alphabet, which was among Berkshire's five largest holdings by the end of June.
Former CEO Warren Buffett was historically reluctant to invest heavily in technology, openly admitting that he did not understand the sector well enough to predict whether it could flourish over the long term. Apple was the sole exception, with Berkshire investing in the company towards the end of Buffett's tenure as chief executive.
The company gained more than 3% at 9:47 a.m. ET following the news. The stock has only gained 3% so far this year, largely underperforming the S&P 500's 13% rise. However, it has jumped about 9% over the past three months.
As for quarterly results, operating earnings climbed to $12.98 billion, compared to $11.16 billion a year before. Manufacturing, service and retailing earnings jumped 24%, and its energy profit did so 27%. In contrast, insurance-related underwriting fell 13%, while insurance investment decreased 9%.
The holding's cash pile decreased by more than $30 billion during the second quarter, clocking in at $365.5 billion at the end of June. The figure stood at $397.4 billion three months before. The period included the closing of the holding's acquisition of Taylor Morrison.
