Berkshire Hathaway Reduces Cash Reserves as Greg Abel Returns to Net Equity Buying
Berkshire Hathaway's cash reserves fell from $400 billion at the end of Q1 2026 to approximately $365.5 billion by June 30, marking a strategic shift under new CEO Greg Abel. For the first time in three years, Berkshire became a net buyer of equities during the second quarter, purchasing about $23.5 billion worth of stocks while selling only $3.7 billion. Abel has been actively reshaping Berkshire's portfolio by trimming or exiting smaller positions and concentrating capital into higher-conviction holdings such as Alphabet (GOOGL/GOOG). The company also completed two major acquisitions—Occidental Petroleum’s chemicals business for $9.7 billion in January 2026, and Taylor Morrison Homes for $6.8 billion—and increased share buybacks to over $4 billion during the second quarter. Berkshire's significant investment in Alphabet included a $10 billion private placement split between Class A and C shares, along with additional open-market purchases. This shift signals Abel’s confidence in long-term value opportunities while maintaining Berkshire’s strong liquidity position of more than $365 billion.
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Topics: acquisitions Berkshire Hathaway cash reserves Greg Abel stock buying activity