BRK.B Just Dropped $11.35B in Operating Earnings and Greg Abel Is Already Running the Show
Retail traders are watching the Berkshire throne transition closely — and the numbers are giving them no reason to panic
Ticker Ratings
Greg Abel's first earnings as $BRK.B CEO landed like a warm handshake from a man holding $397 billion in cash. Q1 2026 operating earnings came in at $11.35B — up 18% year-over-year — and the crowd at Omaha got a deepfake Buffett instead of the real one answering questions. Which, honestly, is kind of perfect for 2026.
Buffett himself called out Apple's legendary $35B investment returning $185B over 10 years before formally handing Tim Cook his retirement card and walking to the shareholder section. The 'core four' — $AAPL, $AXP, $KO, and $BYD — remain sacred. Meanwhile, CNBC's Squawk Pod coverage flagged that Iran tensions are already doubling input costs for Berkshire's chemical subsidiaries, which is the one storm cloud on an otherwise absurdly clean balance sheet.
Retail sentiment on YouTube is cautiously bullish on the transition — and with nearly $400B in dry powder, Abel doesn't need to be Buffett. He just needs to not be the guy who blew it.