Berkshire Posts Fresh 52-Week High as Abel Era Gathers Pace, Yet Trails the S&P 500

Greg Abel’s Berkshire Hathaway stock rose to a fresh 52-week high near $525 but remains down about 4–5% for 2026, lagging the S&P 500’s roughly 13% year-to-date gain. The Motley Fool notes Abel’s first buybacks earlier in the year, the July closure of the Taylor Morrison deal, and Berkshire’s substantial cash/T-bills cushion (~$397B as of March) alongside a growing insurance float (~$176.9B). First-quarter operating earnings rose 18% to $11.3B, underscoring strength despite lumpier growth, while the upcoming 10-Q will reveal buyback activity and portfolio changes to gauge whether March was the start of a sustained program. Berkshire trades around 15x earnings, suggesting potential value even as it navigates continued volatility and size-related dynamics.