Key Highlights
- Greg Abel completely divested Berkshire’s positions in Visa and Mastercard in Q1 2026
- Delta Air Lines received a $2.8 billion investment with 39.8 million shares purchased
- Alphabet holdings expanded threefold to 54.2 million A shares valued at $23 billion
- Sixteen minor holdings eliminated, including Pool Corp, UnitedHealth, and Amazon positions
- Apple continues to dominate at 20.7% of Berkshire’s $330 billion investment portfolio
Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway’s newly appointed CEO, moved swiftly to transform the company’s massive $330 billion investment portfolio during the opening quarter of 2026. These strategic decisions mark a notable departure from Warren Buffett’s traditional investment approach.
In a decisive move, Abel liquidated Berkshire’s complete 8.3 million-share position in Visa alongside its full Mastercard stake. While both investments represented modest allocations of approximately 1% each, their complete elimination reveals Abel’s current perspective on payment processing stocks.
Meanwhile, American Express remained completely intact. The credit card company now commands the second-largest position in Berkshire’s holdings with a valuation of $47 billion.
A Return to the Aviation Sector
Warren Buffett sold approximately $4 billion in airline investments during early 2020 when COVID-19 disrupted global travel. He maintained that stance indefinitely. Abel chose a different path.
During Q1 2026, Berkshire established a new position by acquiring 39.8 million Delta Air Lines (DAL) shares, creating a $2.8 billion stake. The purchase came during a period of depressed valuations for DAL. Since Berkshire’s entry, share prices have climbed higher. While representing approximately 1% of total holdings, the investment demonstrates meaningful conviction.
This decision illustrates Abel’s readiness to pursue opportunities that Buffett had permanently abandoned.
Massive Expansion in Google’s Parent Company
Berkshire entered 2026 with a modest Alphabet (GOOGL) stake. Abel significantly amplified that commitment. The conglomerate now controls 54.2 million A shares valued at $23 billion, elevating Alphabet to the seventh-largest position. Additionally, Berkshire added 3.6 million C shares worth approximately $1 billion.
GOOGL currently trades near $383, experiencing a decline of roughly 1.2% during today’s session.
While Buffett traditionally steered clear of technology investments, Abel demonstrates no such reluctance.
Alphabet has deployed artificial intelligence to strengthen and expand its fundamental operations. Google Search generated $60.4 billion in Q1 2026 revenue, marking a 19% year-over-year surge — the fourth consecutive quarter of growth acceleration. Innovations including AI Overviews and AI Mode have fueled this impressive performance.
Apple Maintains Dominant Position
Apple continues as Berkshire’s premier holding at 20.7% of portfolio value, despite Buffett reducing the stake by approximately three-quarters throughout 2024 and 2025. Those reductions aimed to minimize concentration exposure and secure profits after the position peaked above $170 billion.
In earlier CNBC comments this year, Buffett expressed satisfaction with Apple’s leading status and indicated willingness to expand the position if valuations become attractive.
Coca-Cola maintains stability as another significant AI-related investment. It comprises 9.9% of portfolio assets and delivered $816 million in dividend payments to Berkshire last year.
Abel simultaneously eliminated 16 smaller holdings that minimally influenced overall portfolio returns. Departures included recent additions like Pool Corp, UnitedHealth, and Amazon. This streamlining strategy appears designed to eliminate distractions and sharpen investment focus.
As Q1 2026 concluded, three AI-connected stocks — Apple, Alphabet, and Coca-Cola — collectively represent 37.4% of Berkshire’s complete investment portfolio.
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