Berkshire Hathaway Dividend Stocks and Strategy Under Greg Abel

Warren Buffett stepped down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway on December 31, 2025, leaving his successor, Greg Abel, to manage a $381 billion portfolio that has seen 14 consecutive quarters of net stock sales [2]. While Berkshire’s cash reserves have climbed to a record $397 billion, the firm has retained several high-yielding dividend stocks that offer a blueprint for passive income [2].

Abel, who officially took the helm on January 1, 2026, has already signaled a more hands-on management style [2]. This was most evident in February 2026, when Kraft Heinz abruptly canceled a planned corporate split after Abel expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s direction [2]. Berkshire has committed to holding its position in the food giant, which currently pays a 7.12% dividend, as the company pivots to a $600 million turnaround plan [2].

Other notable dividend-paying holdings within the Berkshire portfolio include Chevron and Sirius XM [2]. Chevron, which maintains a 38-year streak of dividend growth, currently yields 3.67% and remains a core energy holding despite Berkshire selling a significant portion of its shares in the first quarter of 2026 [2]. Sirius XM, a long-term Berkshire position, offers a 3.89% yield [2].

For investors seeking to replicate the "Oracle of Omaha’s" style without the drag of Berkshire’s massive cash hoard, new financial products have emerged to fill the gap. The VistaShares Target 15 Berkshire Select Income ETF (OMAH) launched to target a 15% annualized distribution yield by holding blue-chip stocks similar to those favored by Buffett and using a covered-call strategy to generate monthly income [1].

While OMAH has outperformed Berkshire’s -2.8% year-to-date decline with a 5.2% return through early June, it faces stiff competition from traditional dividend ETFs [1]. The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD), which holds Buffett-coded stocks like Coca-Cola, has posted a 19.8% year-to-date return, highlighting the trade-off between the high-income potential of covered-call funds and the capital appreciation of pure equity baskets [1].

As Abel takes full control of decision-making, the central question remains whether his active intervention in companies like Kraft Heinz will improve long-term performance or if the conglomerate’s massive cash pile will continue to weigh on total returns. Investors are now watching to see if the "quiet" era of Buffett’s board chairmanship will coincide with a more aggressive deployment of that $397 billion cash reserve [2].