Berkshire Hathaway reentered the airline industry by acquiring about $2.65 billion worth of Delta Air Lines shares in the first quarter of 2026, owning roughly 6.1% of the carrier and becoming its 14th largest shareholder [1, 2, 3, 4]. The purchase amounted to approximately 39.8 million Delta shares based on the latest SEC 13F filings [3, 4]. This marked the company's return to airlines after Warren Buffett's decision in 2020 to exit all major U.S. airline stocks due to COVID-19 impacts. Buffett said at the time, "這場疫情已徹底改變了消費者的行為和旅遊模式" (The pandemic has fundamentally changed consumer behavior and travel patterns) [1].
Following Buffett’s retirement as chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway’s new CEO Abel oversaw a portfolio reshuffling in Q1 2026, shrinking stock holdings from 42 to 29 [4]. Among notable moves, Berkshire cut Chevron stock by about $8 billion, a nearly 35% reduction, but remained the fourth largest shareholder of the oil giant [1, 2, 4].
At the same time, Berkshire significantly boosted its stake in Alphabet Inc., increasing its holdings from 18 million to around 58 million Class A shares, valued between $15.6 billion and $23 billion depending on the source [1, 2, 3, 4]. Berkshire also exited its entire position in Amazon and trimmed other holdings including Visa, Mastercard, UnitedHealth Group, Diageo, Pool Corp, Domino's Pizza, Aon, and Constellation Brands [1, 2, 3, 4].
Delta Air Lines stock responded positively to the news, rising more than 3% in after-hours trading on May 15 [1, 2, 3]. Berkshire’s current top 10 holdings include Apple, American Express, Coca-Cola, Bank of America, Chevron, Occidental Petroleum, Alphabet, Chubb, Moody’s, and Kraft Heinz [3, 4].
The latest SEC filings reflect Berkshire Hathaway’s strategic repositioning under new leadership and a cautious return to industries once shunned during the pandemic, with results clear as holdings in airlines and tech were reshaped in Q1 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].
