Key Highlights
Following the appointment of new CEO Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway has made significant adjustments to its U.S. stock investment portfolio. The company invested $2.6 billion to establish a new position in Delta Air Lines and increased its stake in Alphabet, Google's parent company, by 224%. Abel has stated he will continue to consult with former leader and legendary investor Warren Buffett on investment decisions.
After-Hours Trading On May 3, 2025, in Omaha, Warren Buffett and Greg Abel attended the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting. As market investors analyzed the latest portfolio adjustments and exits revealed in the conglomerate's quarterly financial report, Berkshire's large-scale repositioning caused some individual stocks to rise in Monday's early trading, while others declined. The Omaha-based company released its latest quarterly U.S. stock holdings list last Friday. Earlier this year, Greg Abel officially took over the helm from legendary investor Warren Buffett as the new CEO. The latest holdings filing shows that Berkshire purchased 39.8 million shares of Delta Air Lines, with a position value of $2.6 billion. As of the end of March, Delta Air Lines became its fourteenth-largest holding, with the stock rising up to 2.5% in pre-market trading. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Buffett liquidated billions of dollars worth of U.S. airline stocks, including Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, due to significant changes in consumer travel habits. In this repositioning, Berkshire's most substantial increase was in Alphabet, Google's parent company, adding 58 million shares—a 224% increase in its holding—making it Berkshire's seventh-largest holding. The tech giant's stock saw a slight decline of 0.6% in early Monday trading.
Other significant adjustments include: establishing a new position in Macy's; reducing its stake in Chevron by 35%, representing an $8 billion decrease in value; and completely exiting positions in Mastercard and Visa. Macy's stock rose up to 5% in pre-market trading, while Chevron, Mastercard, and Visa stocks were largely flat or saw slight declines. Additionally, Berkshire has completely exited its investment in Amazon. In the first quarter, it sold 2.3 million Amazon shares, thereby completing the full liquidation. Previously, it held a total of 10 million Amazon shares, having sold 7.7 million in the fourth quarter of last year. Amazon's stock fell 0.7% in pre-market trading.
These multiple portfolio adjustments are likely part of winding down positions associated with former investment manager Todd Combs. Combs left the company at the end of 2025 to join JPMorgan Chase. He was originally recruited by Buffett and, along with Ted Weschler, managed the company's stock portfolio. Ted Weschler continues to oversee approximately 6% of the company's investment portfolio. Abel has publicly stated that he continues to seek advice from the 95-year-old Buffett when formulating various investment decisions. During a March appearance on CNBC, Abel noted: "Warren comes to the office every day. When I'm in Omaha, we talk almost daily. If I'm traveling, I still communicate with him frequently to understand his market observations and views. Even if we don't talk daily, we exchange messages every few days."