Brown Brothers Harriman & Co Q2 2026: Notable ETF Purchases and Stock Sales
Brown Brothers Harriman significantly increased its holdings in core iShares ETFs like IEFA, IVV, IEMG, and IWM while reducing positions in individual stocks such as KLAC and ALC.
According to the latest filing from Brown Brothers Harriman & Co for Q2 2026, the investment firm has made several notable changes to its portfolio. The overall strategy appears focused on diversification into international equities while reducing exposure in certain domestic individual stocks.
The most significant purchase during this quarter was an increase in holdings of the ISHARES CORE MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA), a fund tracking international developed markets outside North America. Brown Brothers Harriman added over 6 million shares, representing more than an 88% increase in position size and significantly boosting its portfolio allocation to this sector.
Alongside IEFA, the firm also substantially increased its stake in ISHARES CORE S&P 500 ETF (IVV), adding nearly half a million shares. This was accompanied by large increases in other iShares products: MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) saw an increase of over 742,000 shares, and the firm also added more than a million shares to its position in ISHARES CORE S&P SMALLCAP ETF (IWM).
On the stock front, Brown Brothers Harriman purchased substantial amounts of technology leaders. Notably, they acquired over 2 million shares of KLA Corp (KLAC) and nearly a million shares each of Applied Materials Inc (AMAT) and Booking Holdings Inc (BKNG). These purchases suggest confidence in select domestic tech companies alongside broad international exposure.
Conversely, the firm significantly reduced its positions in several individual stocks. Alcon Inc (ALC) saw a nearly 50% decrease in holdings due to large share sales. Similarly, Nike Inc (NKE) experienced substantial reductions across both common and preferred shares.
Additionally, Brown Brothers Harriman sold some of its more established ETF positions during Q2. The firm divested from the GMO U.S. Quality ETF (QLTY), reducing its position by nearly 3 million shares in one filing, though other filings show continued purchases of this fund overall. They also sold positions in several small-cap and quality-focused funds like EAGLE CAPITAL SELECT EQTY (EAGL) and ISHARES MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI).