Berkshire Hathaway's Slump Fuels Value Debate Amid Buyback Hopes

Berkshire Hathaway fell about 1% this week while the S&P 500 rose, widening its year-to-date underperformance; analysts view the stock as a potential value play given its durable insurance and industrial businesses and ongoing buyback activity, with UBS estimating an 8% discount to intrinsic value. The company resumed buybacks in March 2026, and leadership questions loom after reports that Todd Combs’s holdings were unloaded as Greg Abel prepares for the annual meeting. Apple remains Berkshire’s largest equity stake and Buffett praised Tim Cook, while Walmart briefly surpassed Berkshire in market value, all ahead of live CNBC coverage of the meeting.