Berkshire Hathaway holds approximately 13.29 million VeriSign shares as of March 31, according to SEC filing.

Berkshire Hathaway’s interest in VeriSign Inc. was revealed in a recent SEC filing, showing ownership of around 13.29 million shares as of March 31. VeriSign made a significant move by filing an automatic shelf registration statement (Form S-3ASR) on July 28, 2025, to register the resale of up to 4,815,032 existing common shares. These shares constitute approximately 5.15% of the total 93,408,594 shares outstanding as of July 25, 2025, and are currently held by two Berkshire Hathaway affiliates: Berkshire Hathaway Consolidated Pension Plan Master Trust with 1,015,032 shares, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC Master Retirement Trust holding 3,800,000 shares.

Importantly, this filing under Rule 415 does not involve the issuance of new equity, and VeriSign will not receive any proceeds from the resale of the shares. The company’s capital structure, consisting of 1 billion authorized common shares and 5 million authorized preferred shares, remains unchanged. The selling shareholders have the option to dispose of the shares through either public or private transactions at market or negotiated prices, with the prospectus cautioning that these sales might negatively impact VeriSign’s market price.

Following the completion of this disposition, Berkshire entities will no longer hold any shares in VeriSign. The filing includes references to VeriSign’s 2024 10-K, 2025 10-Qs, and other filings, reiterating existing risk factors like cyber threats, contract renewals, and ICANN policy. The prospectus also specifies that all registration costs are covered by VeriSign, while brokerage fees are the responsibility of the sellers.

This registration allows Berkshire Hathaway affiliates to liquidate a considerable amount of shares, equivalent to approximately seven days of average trading volume. Although VeriSign does not stand to gain any proceeds from this stock sale and no new shares are being issued, the fundamentals and per-share metrics of the company remain stable. However, the prospectus warns that concentrated sales could potentially impact the market price negatively, hinting at a potential oversupply situation. Furthermore, the registration will expand the public float, which could lead to improved liquidity once shares are divested, resulting in a slightly negative effect in the short term due to potential price pressure but maintaining a neutral stance for long-term operations.

From a corporate governance standpoint, it is important to note that the S-3ASR filing is limited to a secondary resale, with no dilution and no modifications to VeriSign’s anti-takeover protections. Berkshire’s decision to exit its position does not trigger any change-of-control thresholds, allowing management to retain full strategic flexibility without any constraints or lock-up provisions imposed by the filing. The ability of the board to authorize preferred stock and adjust bylaws serves as a crucial defense mechanism highlighted in the prospectus, making the event neutral in terms of governance.