{"id":209780,"date":"2026-09-01T10:32:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T10:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/209780\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T10:32:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T10:32:21","slug":"warren-buffetts-successor-greg-abel-started-his-tenure-with-a-bang-by-paring-down-bank-of-america-and-making-a-virtual-monopoly-berkshires-no-3-holding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/209780\/","title":{"rendered":"Warren Buffett&#8217;s Successor, Greg Abel, Started His Tenure With a Bang by Paring Down Bank of America and Making a Virtual Monopoly Berkshire&#8217;s No. 3 Holding"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Key Points<\/p>\n<p>The Oracle of Omaha retired on Dec. 31, passing the baton and oversight of Berkshire Hathaway&#8217;s $357 billion investment portfolio to Greg Abel.<\/p>\n<p>Warren Buffett or Greg Abel has sold shares of Bank of America for eight consecutive quarters &#8212; and profit-taking is likely only part of the story.<\/p>\n<p>Berkshire&#8217;s new boss spent $17 billion buying shares of a market leader with a well-defined sustainable moat and serious artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions during the second quarter.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s been a year of historic change for Berkshire Hathaway(NYSE: BRKA)(NYSE: BRKB) and its shareholders. On Dec. 31, after more than half a century at the helm, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/how-to-invest\/famous-investors\/warren-buffett-investments\/?utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Warren Buffett<\/a> retired as CEO and passed the baton to his understudy, Greg Abel.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/05\/15\/warren-buffett-greg-abel-dump-amzn-dpz-buy-googl\/?utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Abel hasn&#8217;t wasted any time reshuffling Berkshire&#8217;s $357 billion investment portfolio<\/a>. The company&#8217;s Form 13F filing on Aug. 14, detailing second-quarter trading activity, shows that Warren Buffett&#8217;s successor pared down Bank of America(NYSE: BAC), yet again, and absolutely piled into one of Wall Street&#8217;s most beloved virtual monopolies: Google parent Alphabet(NASDAQ: GOOGL)(NASDAQ: GOOG).<\/p>\n<p>Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again.In 2009, a &#8220;Double Down&#8221; signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same &#8220;Total Conviction&#8221; signal is flashing for a company 1\/100th the size of Nvidia. <a href=\"https:\/\/api.fool.com\/infotron\/infotrack\/click?apikey=35527423-a535-4519-a07f-20014582e03e&amp;impression=7e61e722-16c3-4015-98ad-145a15d07080&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fa-sa-dd-total-conviction%3Faid%3D11123%26source%3Disaediica0000078%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-dd-4%26ftm_veh%3Dtop_incontent_pitch_feed_partner%26ftm_pit%3D19478&amp;utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Continue \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" alt=\"Warren Buffett surrounded by people at Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting.\" src=\"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/FC\/fb85989f6730eb8dd70f0c04c0527f62\/%3Furl%3Dhttps%253a%252f%252fg.foolcdn.com%252feditorial%252fimages%252f885319%252fbuffett13-tmf.jpg%26amp%3Bw%3D700\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption\">Warren Buffett retired as Berkshire Hathaway&#8217;s CEO on Dec. 31. Image source: The Motley Fool.<\/p>\n<p>Abel pared down Bank of America stock for an eighth consecutive quarter<\/p>\n<p>During the first quarter, Abel exited 16 positions and slashed six others, one of which was money-center behemoth Bank of America. Though far fewer holdings were pared down in the second quarter, BofA was once again on the list, with 30,230,150 shares sold. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/08\/14\/warren-buffett-greg-abel-pared-down-bac-buy-googl\/?utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Buffett or Abel has sold shares of BofA in each of the last eight quarters<\/a>, reducing Berkshire&#8217;s stake by a cumulative 53%.<\/p>\n<p>Profit-taking is the most logical reason behind this selling, but it&#8217;s probably not the only catalyst.<\/p>\n<p>For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/04\/01\/warren-buffett-sell-50-bac-buy-hot-oil-stock-cvx\/?utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Bank of America stock isn&#8217;t the bargain it once was<\/a>. When the Oracle of Omaha initially took a stake in BofA&#8217;s preferred stock in August 2011, its common shares were trading at a 62% discount to book value. In early August 2026, it was trading at a 62% premium to its book value. Both Buffett and Abel are sticklers for value.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, BofA is the most interest-sensitive of America&#8217;s big banks. While this distinction was a massive tailwind when the Federal Reserve raised <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/terms\/i\/interest-rates\/?utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">interest rates<\/a> from March 2022 to July 2023, it became a drag on net interest income when the Fed cut rates from September 2024 to December 2025.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Google logo prominently displayed on a smartphone and on the paperwork beneath it.\" src=\"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/FC\/fb85989f6730eb8dd70f0c04c0527f62\/%3Furl%3Dhttps%253a%252f%252fg.foolcdn.com%252feditorial%252fimages%252f885319%252falphabet-google-cloud-pixel-youtube-phone-ai-quantum-getty.jpg%26amp%3Bw%3D700\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption\">Image source: Getty Images.<\/p>\n<p>Alphabet has become one of Berkshire Hathaway&#8217;s core holdings<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, Berkshire&#8217;s new boss can&#8217;t stop buying shares of Alphabet. Abel more than tripled Berkshire&#8217;s stake in the company in the first quarter and added another $17 billion, including $10 billion via private placement, during the second quarter. It&#8217;s now surpassed Coca-Cola and Bank of America to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/06\/24\/move-over-ko-warren-buffett-abel-new-no-3-holding\/?utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">become Berkshire&#8217;s third-largest holding<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Buffett, who initiated the purchases of Alphabet stock last year, and Abel both appreciate businesses with sustainable moats. According to GlobalStats, Google has maintained an 89% to 93% share of global internet search traffic over the trailing decade.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, YouTube, which Alphabet also owns, is the second-most-visited social site behind Google. Suffice it to say, Alphabet commands exceptional ad pricing power during long-winded economic expansions.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/search?q=%24GOOG&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">$GOOG<\/a> Alphabet Q2 FY26:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Revenue +24% Y\/Y to $119.8B ($2.8B beat).<br \/>\u2022 Operating margin 34% (+2pp Y\/Y).<br \/>\u2022 $98B net gains from equity investments.<\/p>\n<p>\u2601\ufe0f Google Cloud:<br \/>\u2022 Revenue +82% Y\/Y to $24.8B<br \/>\u2022 Operating margin 36% (+15pp Y\/Y).<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6\ufe0f YouTube ads +13% to $11.1B <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/seYlITzfg6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/seYlITzfg6<\/a><\/p>\n<p> &#8212; App Economy Insights (@EconomyApp) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EconomyApp\/status\/2080026028412645604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">July 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>But it&#8217;s Alphabet&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/stock-market\/market-sectors\/information-technology\/ai-stocks\/?utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">artificial intelligence (AI)<\/a> ties that likely have Buffett and Abel excited. Since integrating generative AI and large language model capabilities into Google Cloud, the world&#8217;s third-largest cloud infrastructure services platform by total spend, sales have skyrocketed. This segment, which generates substantially juicier margins than advertising, delivered 82% year-over-year sales growth in the June-ended quarter.<\/p>\n<p>If <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/08\/07\/warren-buffett-abel-has-63-brka-invest-in-5-stocks\/?utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Alphabet&#8217;s AI ambitions are realized<\/a>, it&#8217;s not out of the question that it eventually unseats Apple as Berkshire Hathaway&#8217;s top holding.<\/p>\n<p>Should you buy stock in Alphabet right now?<\/p>\n<p>Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this:<\/p>\n<p>The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the <a href=\"https:\/\/api.fool.com\/infotron\/infotrack\/click?apikey=35527423-a535-4519-a07f-20014582e03e&amp;impression=5ecd5107-7a29-4154-a09f-ed5586193e40&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-sa-bbn-dyn-headline%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0001178%26company%3DAlphabet%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_veh%3Darticle_pitch_feed_partners%26ftm_pit%3D18725&amp;utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10 best stocks<\/a> for investors to buy now\u2026 and Alphabet wasn\u2019t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.<\/p>\n<p>Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004&#8230; if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you\u2019d have $440,710!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005&#8230; if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you\u2019d have $1,335,252!*<\/p>\n<p>Now, it\u2019s worth noting Stock Advisor\u2019s total average return is 978% \u2014 a market-crushing outperformance compared to 213% for the S&amp;P 500. Don&#8217;t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ticker_pitch\" href=\"https:\/\/api.fool.com\/infotron\/infotrack\/click?apikey=35527423-a535-4519-a07f-20014582e03e&amp;impression=5ecd5107-7a29-4154-a09f-ed5586193e40&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-sa-bbn-dyn-headline%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0001178%26company%3DAlphabet%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D18725%26ftm_veh%3Darticle_pitch_feed_partners%26company%3DAlphabet&amp;utm_source=globeandmail&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=1330df66-b58f-44c9-923b-9da4491ea2e7\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">See the 10 stocks \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\" style=\"font-size: 0.65rem; color: #767676; margin-top: 5px; text-align: left;\">*Stock Advisor returns as of September 1, 2026. <\/p>\n<p>Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/1813\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Sean Williams<\/a> has positions in Alphabet and Bank of America. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/fool-disclosure-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">disclosure policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" style=\"display:none;\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\" src=\"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/FC\/fb85989f6730eb8dd70f0c04c0527f62\/pixel%3Fslug%3Dmotleyfoolgm-2026-9-1-warren-buffetts-successor-greg-abel-started-his-tenure-with-a-bang-by-paring-down-bank-of-america-and-making-a-virtual-monopoly-berkshires-no-3-holding\"\/><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Key Points The Oracle of Omaha retired on Dec. 31, passing the baton and oversight of Berkshire Hathaway&#8217;s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":209781,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[162],"tags":[19179,2144,2141,2140,2143,2142,2145,19180,2147,669],"class_list":["post-209780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-warren-buffett","tag-coca-cola-company","tag-futures","tag-index-market-quote","tag-index-market-quotes","tag-index-market-symbol","tag-index-market-symbols","tag-indices","tag-ko","tag-the-globe-and-mail","tag-warren-buffett"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@people\/117195332062987384","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=209780"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209780\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/209781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=209780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=209780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=209780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}