Berkshire Hathaway Shares Struggle After Buffett's Retirement Announcement
On October 27 (local time), US investment bank KBW downgraded its investment rating on Berkshire Hathaway, led by Chairman Warren Buffett, from neutral to sell, according to reports by CNBC and other media outlets.
KBW lowered its target price for Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares from $740,000 to $700,000 while also downgrading its investment rating. Meyer Shields, an analyst at KBW, stated, "Concerns remain regarding macroeconomic uncertainty and Berkshire's unique management succession risks," adding, "If earnings deteriorate or fail to recover, the stock could underperform the market."
Market analysts point out that Berkshire Hathaway continues to maintain a heavy investment focus on traditional industries such as finance and energy, rather than on advanced technology companies like those in artificial intelligence (AI), resulting in underperformance compared to benchmarks. Berkshire Hathaway's core subsidiaries include the auto insurer GEICO and the major freight railroad company BNSF. In this regard, KBW predicted that Berkshire's key business segments will face significant simultaneous pressures over the next few years due to factors such as slowing profits in the auto insurance sector, weakening growth in the railroad transportation market, and reduced tax incentives for green energy.
Buffett, who is 95 years old, surprised investors by announcing his retirement plans at the annual shareholders' meeting this past May. Since Buffett's retirement announcement, Berkshire Hathaway's stock price has shown a sluggish trend. On this point, analyst Shields commented, "Buffett's departure will act as a negative factor," explaining, "He is a figure with an almost unparalleled reputation. If Buffett is no longer at the helm, the lack of sufficient disclosure will make it difficult to maintain investor confidence."
Currently, Vice Chairman Greg Abel, who oversees Berkshire's non-insurance businesses, is set to succeed Buffett and lead Berkshire Hathaway starting in January 2026.
On this day, Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares closed at $732,650 on the New York Stock Exchange, down 0.79% from the previous session.
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