Berkshire Hathaway Shares Near Record High as Investors Rotate Away From AI Stocks

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) shares touched a 52-week high on Tuesday, with the Class A stock rising 0.9% to $805,757 and the Class B stock up 1.1% to $537.80, as investors shifted capital from AI-themed equities into defensive names, Barron's reported. The conglomerate, with a market value above $1.1 trillion, holds more than $350 billion in cash and equivalents and generates nearly $50 billion in after-tax earnings annually, positioning it as one of the market's most defensive large-cap holdings. Its $360 billion equity portfolio is anchored by Apple (AAPL) and Coca-Cola (KO), both of which have rallied recently. Berkshire's Class A shares last closed at a record $809,350 on May 2, 2025, the day before its annual meeting, where Warren Buffett announced he would step down as CEO at the end of 2025. The stock has gained 5% over the past month and about 7% year to date in 2026, though it still trails the S&P 500 by roughly 7 percentage points. Barron's estimates book value rose about 3% to roughly $540,000 per Class A share as of September 30 from $522,000 on June 30.