Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:BRK)(NYSE:BRK) has a new CEO with Greg Abel taking over the top position at the beginning of 2026, succeeding the legendary investor Warren Buffett in the role.
Several members of Congress have sold their Berkshire stock in 2026, potentially related to Buffett's exit.
Congress Members Sell Berkshire Hathaway Stock
Two members of Congress have sold Berkshire Hathaway stock in recent weeks, with the Benzinga Government Trades page showing both Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) selling the stock.
Gottheimer disclosed the following transactions:
- May 4, 2026: Sold $1,000 to $15,000 in Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares
- May 4, 2026: Sold $1,000 to $15,000 in Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares
Menefee disclosed the following transactions:
- Feb. 10, 2026: Sold $1,000 to $15,000 in Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares
- Feb. 10, 2026: Sold $15,000 to $50,000 in Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares
- Feb. 10, 2026: Sold $15,000 to $50,000 in Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares
Gottheimer previously sold Berkshire Hathaway stock twice in 2025 and bought shares twice in 2024. The congressman is one of the members who makes the most stock transactions, with data from Quiver Quantitative showing more than 3,500 trades representing more than $340 million in value.
Menefee became a member of Congress in 2026 and this was his first disclosure with no purchases previously announced, meaning he would have already owned the Berkshire Hathaway stock before taking office.
Berkshire Turns a New Page
The most recent 13F filing from Berkshire Hathaway, which covered trading activity for the first quarter, showed the conglomerate making several new stock purchases and sales. This marked the first quarter with Abel as CEO, and his presence may have been felt aggressively with one of the quarters with the most new and exited positions in some time.
Berkshire Hathaway stock underperformed against the S&P 500, tracked by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY), in 2025.
The stock has underperformed in 2026, currently down 1.3%, compared to an 8.3% increase for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.
While investors once paid a premium to have their money managed by Buffett, the underperformance of Berkshire Hathaway relative to the S&P 500 could show that investors are exiting the conglomerate and putting their money to work elsewhere.
Photo: W. Scott McGill via Shutterstock
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