The New Berkshire Hathaway Just Made a Fresh Bet on a Department Store Everyone Wrote Off
Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO Greg Abel disclosed a new stake in Macy’s in its Q1 2026 13F filed May 15, 2026: 3.04 million shares valued at about $55 million, alongside a new Delta Air Lines position. The article says Macy’s reported Q2 FY27 adjusted diluted EPS of $0.13 vs $0.03, revenue of $4.89 billion, and raised full-year guidance to net sales $21.5–$21.75 billion and adjusted EPS $2.00–$2.20.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
For Macy’s, the fresh disclosure plus cited operating metrics (EPS/revenue beat, comp growth, raised guidance, buyback remaining) creates a concrete near-term sentiment and positioning catalyst, even as tariff headwinds and closure-related sales headwinds temper the upside.
Market read
A newly disclosed Berkshire starter position in Macy’s (plus a co-stake in Delta) can influence retail/value positioning, but the article notes Macy’s has already surged substantially.
What to watch
Tariff-driven margin pressure and planned store closures are explicitly cited; if comps or guidance momentum fades, the ‘coupon-clipping’ thesis could re-rate quickly despite the Berkshire signal.
Background
The article says the stake was disclosed in Berkshire Hathaway’s Q1 2026 13F (May 15, 2026) as the first quarterly portfolio reshuffle under Greg Abel’s CEO tenure.
Ticker impact
Berkshire disclosed a brand-new ~3.04M-share stake in Macy's in its Q1 2026 13F, valued around $55M.
Near-term sentiment support, but upside likely capped unless fundamentals (guidance/comps) keep beating amid tariff and closure headwinds.
The article provides the fresh 13F stake size/value and pairs it with specific Macy's guidance/EPS/comps and margin headwinds, which can influence positioning; however, it’s still a relatively small Berkshire allocation and the piece also notes the stock has already surged.
The same Berkshire 13F also disclosed a new Delta Air Lines stake alongside the Macy's position, framing both as cash-rich hard-asset businesses.
Limited incremental impact from this article alone; any effect would be secondary to broader Delta-specific catalysts.
The text confirms a new DAL stake exists but does not provide the disclosed share count/value or new Delta fundamentals, reducing tradable specificity.
Market effects
Signals potential renewed appetite for ‘boring’ consumer retail cash generators and real-estate optionality, despite tariff and store-closure risks.
Primarily US equities sentiment; no explicit regional macro linkage beyond US retail/airline demand framing.
Limited; the story is US-focused and tied to company-specific filings and guidance.
Counterpoint
Berkshire’s starter size is small and the article itself notes the easy money may already be made after a large run-up, so the trade may be more narrative than edge.
Key entities
- institutional investorBerkshire Hathaway
Disclosed a new Macy’s stake in its Q1 2026 13F, framed as a cash-generating, out-of-favor bet.
- public companyMacy's
Department store retailer with raised full-year guidance, ongoing store upgrade program, and a newly disclosed Berkshire starter position.
- public companyDelta Air Lines
Also named as having a new Berkshire stake in the same 13F filing.
- executiveGreg Abel
Berkshire CEO whose first deployment is described as the Macy’s starter bet.
