Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway 2026 Portfolio Shifts: Major Sells and New Buys Under Greg Abel
Berkshire Hathaway’s Q1 2026 13F, filed May 15, shows Greg Abel’s first full quarter as CEO. The firm sold stakes in 16 companies and trimmed others, cutting its equity portfolio from about $274B to $263B and holdings from ~40 to 29. It was a net seller, buying ~$16B and selling ~$24B. Full exits included Visa, Mastercard, UnitedHealth, Domino’s, and Amazon; new buys included Delta and Macy’s, and Alphabet was increased.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
The article frames a major portfolio overhaul: equity holdings fell (about $274B to $263B) with Berkshire net selling ($24B sold vs $16B bought). The most actionable signals are large, quantified buys (Alphabet) and complete exits (Visa, Mastercard, UnitedHealth, Amazon, etc.), which can shift flow/sentiment even without immediate fundamental catalysts.
Market read
For traders, the key read-through is flow-driven sentiment: Alphabet/Delta additions are supportive, while payment processors and UNH exits raise near-term positioning risk.
What to watch
Berkshire’s scale and insurance float mean trades can be driven by liquidity/capital allocation rather than a directional view; Japanese trading-house stakes are excluded from the US 13F.
Background
Berkshire Hathaway’s Q1 2026 13F (released May 15) reflects Greg Abel’s first full quarter running day-to-day operations after Buffett stepped down as CEO end-2025.
Ticker impact
Berkshire fully exited Mastercard in Q1 2026, cutting a large position in payment networks.
Limited immediate impact; any move likely fades unless corroborated by other flows.
Portfolio change is concrete, but the article frames it as strategy/rotation rather than new business deterioration.
Berkshire fully liquidated its UnitedHealth stake in Q1 2026, removing exposure to managed care.
Mild negative bias; after-hours mention suggests some immediate reaction risk.
The article notes UNH traded lower in after-hours, but does not attribute the move to new UNH-specific fundamentals.
Berkshire fully exited Domino’s Pizza in Q1 2026, reducing exposure to consumer/restaurant cyclicality.
Small, likely transient effect unless paired with other negative catalysts.
The article confirms the exit but provides no DPZ-specific deterioration or timing catalyst.
Berkshire sold the remaining Amazon shares in Q1 2026 after prior reductions, completing an exit.
Low immediate impact; any reaction likely limited to flow/sentiment traders.
The article states the sale but lacks new Amazon fundamentals or event-driven context.
Berkshire fully exited Aon in Q1 2026, cutting exposure to insurance brokerage.
Negligible-to-low impact; likely fades without additional news.
No AON-specific news is provided beyond the portfolio exit.
Berkshire fully exited Pool Corp. in Q1 2026, trimming a cyclical consumer/industrial exposure.
Low impact; any move likely short-lived.
The article lists the exit without linking it to new Pool fundamentals.
Berkshire fully exited HEICO in Q1 2026, removing exposure to aerospace/defense components.
Low impact; follow-through unlikely absent corroborating signals.
The article provides the exit fact but no HEICO-specific catalyst.
Berkshire fully exited Charter Communications in Q1 2026, reducing exposure to telecom/cable.
Low impact; likely limited to positioning/flows.
No CHTR-specific developments are cited beyond the portfolio change.
Market effects
Signals potential rotation away from payment processors and some health-care/consumer cyclicals, while adding to tech/AI exposure (Alphabet) and value travel (Delta).
Primarily US-listed equities; no direct regional shock beyond US sector sentiment.
Alphabet/airlines/insurers are globally exposed; Berkshire’s reallocation can influence broader investor narratives on AI and travel recovery.
Counterpoint
13F is delayed and can reflect tax/hedging or internal rebalancing; exits may not indicate bearish fundamentals for the sold names.
Key entities
- conglomerateBerkshire Hathaway
Executed major Q1 2026 portfolio changes under Greg Abel, with quantified buys/sells disclosed via 13F.
- executiveGreg Abel
Assumed CEO role; first full quarter reflected in the Q1 13F portfolio changes.
- executiveWarren Buffett
Stepped down as CEO but remains chairman and involved in investment decisions during the transition.
