Warren Buffett’s Berkshire raises stake in New York Times stock

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway just made it clear that its interest in The New York Times isn’t a one-time move.

Read more US envoys make first Kyiv visit amid Ukraine war peace push

After tripling its position in the first quarter of 2026, Berkshire (BRK.B) added even more New York Times (NYT) stock in the second quarter, growing its share count by more than 3.5%, according to Berkshire Hathaway investment holdings data.

It is a notable vote of confidence in legacy media from the most closely watched investor on Wall Street, especially as the news industry faces real headwinds from big tech platforms and AI search tools.

Berkshire adds NYT stock to its portfolio

According to the latest 13F filing data, Berkshire held 15.7 million shares of New York Times stock as of June 29, 2026, worth about $1.1 billion.

That is up 553,465 shares from the prior quarter, a 3.65% increase, and the position now equals 9.78% of the New York Times Company’s outstanding shares.

For context, the stake sits alongside some of Berkshire’s other well-known holdings, including Alphabet, Apple, Delta Air Lines and several major Japanese trading houses.

New York Times stock makes up a small slice of Berkshire’s overall portfolio at 0.32%, but the steady buying pattern over two straight quarters suggests a deliberate build, not a passing trade.

Why New York Times stock caught Berkshire’s eye

The timing lines up with a strong stretch of favorable financial results for the publisher.

In its second-quarter 2026 earnings call, New York Times Company President and CEO Meredith Kopit Levien described a quarter in which the company hit every priority it set for the year.

Some of the numbers behind that confidence, all from the company’s Q2 earnings call:

• Digital subscription revenue grew 16.4% year over year to $408 million.
• The company added 280,000 net new digital subscribers, pushing total subscribers to 13.4 million.
• Digital advertising revenue jumped 20.7% to $114 million, beating expectations.
• Adjusted operating profit, known as AOP, grew 16% to about $155 million.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share rose 19% to $0.69.

Free cash flow came in around $266 million for the first half of the year, and the company returned about $160 million to shareholders through buybacks and dividends.

Related: Berkshire CEO explains Buffett’s surprise AI stock bet

The combination of subscriber growth, pricing power, and consistent cash returns is what should attract Buffett-style value investors.

Levien pointed to video as a big part of the growth story going forward. The company launched a new shows tab in its flagship app.

Read more Russia’s Lavrov calls accusations of Moscow’s involvement in Leipzig drone incident ‘start of real war’, TASS reports

The app now produces thousands of original videos each quarter across reporter-led pieces, news clips, visual investigations, and full-length shows.

Levien told analysts:

“Digital subscription revenues grew 16% as we continue to become even more essential to even more people.”

mizoula / Getty Images

What is the NYT stock price target outlook?

Management expects digital subscription revenue to grow 12% to 15%, total advertising revenue to rise in the high single- to low double-digit range, and adjusted operating costs to climb 8% to 9% as it keeps investing in video and product upgrades.

At the JPMorgan technology conference in May, Levien said the company’s addressable market is bigger than it has previously reported, citing more than 150 million registered users compared with just 13 million paying subscribers.

The gap between total audience and paying customers is likely part of what has investors like Berkshire paying closer attention.

More Warren Buffett:

• Warren Buffett reveals he broke his own investing pattern
• Warren Buffett has a blunt take on today’s market
• Warren Buffett pulls no punches on stock market for 2026

However, Levien acknowledged on the earnings call that big tech platforms are sending less traffic to publishers overall, and that The New York Times is not immune to that trend.

Her answer is to lean harder into original reporting, video, and a bundle of products spanning news, games, cooking, and sports through The Athletic, rather than depending on outside platforms for distribution.

Given consensus estimates from Tikr.com, analysts forecast the media mogul to grow revenue from $2.82 billion in 2025 to $3.52 billion in 2028. In this period, adjusted earnings per share are projected to expand from $2.46 to $3.38.

Out of the seven analysts covering NYT stock, four recommend “Buy”, and three recommend “Hold”. The average NYT stock price target is $78, 17% above the current price.

For now, Berkshire’s growing position gives New York Times stock a high-profile shareholder to watch as the strategy plays out.

Whether the next filing shows another increase will be one of the more interesting things to track when Berkshire’s Q3 holdings report lands.

Related: Warren Buffett’s biggest bet has a dividend secret

The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.

Read more Michael Burry sends a strong warning to Palantir stock investors

This story was originally published September 6, 2026 at 8:17 AM.