Five Stocks Billionaires Were Quietly Accumulating in Early 2026 – Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon Lead

TLDR

• Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square initiated a fresh position in Microsoft following a dip in the stock’s price, simultaneously closing out its stake in Alphabet.
• Berkshire Hathaway significantly boosted its holdings in Alphabet, expanding from 18 million to 58 million shares—valued at approximately $16.6 billion.
• Berkshire also made an unexpected entry into Delta Air Lines, taking a new position valued between $2.65 and $3 billion.
• Both Appaloosa and Pershing Square increased their stakes in Amazon, even as Berkshire reduced its holding in the company.
• Appaloosa and Pershing Square both bought more Uber shares, indicating ongoing faith in the platform’s business model.

(SeaPRwire) –   The most recent set of 13F filings reveals where some of Wall Street’s largest investors allocated their capital during the first quarter of 2026. Since these filings are published with a lag, they represent holdings as of March 31, 2026.

While the filings don’t disclose what these investors currently own, they do highlight where major funds were prepared to invest significant sums of money just a few weeks prior.

The key themes this quarter included artificial intelligence, cloud computing, travel, e-commerce, and platform-based businesses. Below is an analysis of the five stocks that emerged as notable picks.

Microsoft and Alphabet: The AI Cloud Rotation

Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square launched a brand-new position in Microsoft in the first quarter. Per Reuters, Ackman invested after the stock experienced a pullback, deeming its valuation appealing.

Microsoft Corporation, MSFT

This move coincided with Pershing Square’s exit from Alphabet, marking a clear shift from one AI and cloud leader to another.

Microsoft has stakes in Azure, Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub, enterprise software, and its collaboration with OpenAI—all of which are core to the AI narrative investors are closely monitoring in 2026.

Conversely, Berkshire Hathaway took the opposite approach. The firm substantially increased its Alphabet holdings, jumping from about 18 million to 58 million shares. Barron’s noted the position was worth approximately $16.6 billion.

This is a strong vote of confidence in Google Search, YouTube, cloud computing, and Alphabet’s AI infrastructure. While major investors don’t all agree on which AI company will come out on top, both Microsoft and Alphabet are undoubtedly at the heart of the discussion.

Delta, Amazon, and Uber Round Out the Buying

One of the more unexpected moves this quarter came from Berkshire Hathaway, which established a new position in Delta Air Lines. Reuters pegged the stake’s value at around $2.65 billion, while Barron’s estimated it to be closer to $3 billion.

This is significant because Berkshire had previously reduced its exposure to airlines following the pandemic. Taking a new stake in Delta is a contrarian play in an industry grappling with rising fuel costs and economic instability.

Amazon and Uber Stay in Focus

Amazon drew investments from two major funds. David Tepper’s Appaloosa added 2.1 million Amazon shares, making it the fund’s largest holding at roughly $900 million. Pershing Square also increased its Amazon stake by 19%.

However, Berkshire cut its Amazon position during the same timeframe. Even so, backing from Tepper and Ackman keeps Amazon among the most closely watched holdings of the quarter.

Uber completed the list of five stocks. Appaloosa added approximately 4.5 million Uber shares, pushing its position to around $455 million. Pershing Square also maintained Uber as a key holding.

Uber appeals to large investors due to its combination of ride-hailing, delivery, advertising, and improving profitability. While it’s not a traditional tech stock, it aligns with the platform-business model that many major funds prefer.

Collectively, the five stocks—Microsoft, Alphabet, Delta, Amazon, and Uber—mirror the priorities of major investors as 2026 began: high-quality businesses, AI exposure, and platform growth.