Is Berkshire Hathaway a Buy, Sell, or Hold in 2026?

The stock market continues to set records, as both energy stocks and companies involved in the rollout of generative artificial intelligence push it higher. But amid all the buzz, there's a trillion-dollar company that seems to be taking a breather, and not even making a lot of headlines.

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB) stock is down 4% so far this year and is more than 10% off its all-time high. Although the company still has a market capitalization of $1 trillion, it's been eclipsed this year by both Walmart and Samsung, dropping to No. 13 on the list of the biggest publicly traded companies.

Berkshire Hathaway is going through generational change. Its leader of 60 years, Warren Buffett, stepped away from daily operations at the end of the year, although he's still chairman of the board. The new CEO, Greg Abel, is keeping the ship steady but hasn't made dramatic moves in his first five months.

Meanwhile, Berkshire Hathaway has amassed a cash hoard of $390 billion. Berkshire's cash position is larger than the market capitalization of only a couple of dozen publicly traded companies in the world. Buffett has said that management wants to spend some of that money to expand through an acquisition, but it hasn't been able to find a target at a reasonable price -- stocks are too highly priced right now.

With Berkshire stock down and the company seemingly in a holding pattern, is Berkshire Hathaway stock a buy, sell, or hold right now?

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A look at Berkshire Hathaway stock

Berkshire Hathaway is a massive conglomerate that's involved in insurance, real estate, railroads, and energy. Its companies include insurance company GEICO, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, and Pilot Travel Centers, among others.

The company generated $93.67 billion in revenue in the first quarter, up 4.4% from a year ago. The vast majority of that -- $81.05 billion -- comes from the company's insurance businesses, including premiums and investment income.

Net earnings were $10.1 billion, up from $4.6 billion in the first quarter of 2025, and earnings per share for Berkshire's Class B shares -- the ones that are most commonly traded -- were $4.68 versus $2.13 EPS a year ago.

Management believes the company is undervalued

One interesting thing in the most recent earnings report was a disclosure that the company repurchased $234 million of its own stock. It was the first time since 2024 that Berkshire Hathaway bought its shares.

The company has a practice of only buying back its shares "at any time we believe the repurchase price is below our intrinsic value, conservatively determined." So, by making the purchase, management is saying that it believes Berkshire Hathaway stock has fallen enough that it is underpriced.

Should you buy Berkshire Hathaway stock in 2026?

It depends on what your investment goals are. If you're looking to make a quick buck, there are better investments than Berkshire Hathaway. But if you have a long-term investment horizon -- like Abel and Buffett -- then an undervalued Berkshire with a massive cash position is an appealing option for your portfolio.

Patrick Sanders has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.