Berkshire shares trade higher as Buffett successor Abel scores good marks at meeting, earnings jump

Greg Abel, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, speaks during the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, NE on May 2, 2026. CNBC Berkshire Hathaway shares rose in premarket trading Monday after CEO Greg Abel 's solid performance over the weekend helming the annual meeting for the first time, as well as a jump in the conglomerate's earnings. Class B shares of the conglomerate gained 0.5%, following the positive reception to Warren Buffett 's handpicked successor at the Berkshire Hathaway gathering in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday. Many in the investment community acknowledged the loss of the wit and storytelling that were Buffett's signature, but were also reassured by the demonstration of Abel's firm grasp over Berkshire's sprawling enterprise, as well as his insights into the conglomerate's future direction. Berkshire Hathaway's first-quarter report early on Saturday showed a solid jump in the conglomerate's operating earnings of 18% from a year earlier. Those gains were driven largely by insurance underwriting, which surged 28.5% to about $1.7 billion. It also showed the conglomerate sitting on a cash hoard nearing $400 billion. One key theme Abel addressed in the morning and afternoon sessions on Saturday was artificial intelligence, a topic shareholders had been eager to hear more on prior to the event. …