It's official: As of Dec. 31, Warren Buffett is no longer chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A 0.26%) (BRK.B 0.31%). The Oracle of Omaha will remain chairman of the holding company, but Buffett is no longer its chief investment decision maker.
Still, while Buffett has stepped down, it's not as if Berkshire Hathaway, under the leadership of Greg Abel, is about to radically shift its investing approach. Chances are, the company will continue to focus on making acquisitions and investments in high-quality businesses with durable competitive moats.
Moreover, investors still have the opportunity to piggyback on Buffett's past investing ideas, namely by investing in the same stocks currently held in the Berkshire Hathaway equity portfolio. Examining the company's current holdings, three stand out as strong opportunities for 2026: Ally Financial (ALLY 0.68%), Chevron (CVX +3.33%), and Kraft Heinz (KHC 2.57%).
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1. Ally Financial remains poised for a continued rebound
Ally Financial, an automotive-focused online bank formed from the former GMAC after the Great Recession, has been a significant Berkshire holding for several years. Currently, Berkshire owns 29 million shares, representing a 9.4% stake in the company, valued at about $1.3 billion.
When Berkshire began building its position back in early 2022, shares were steadily sinking lower. At the time, concerns were rising that a post-pandemic slowdown in auto sales, coupled with higher interest rates and increased auto loan default rates, would spell trouble for Ally Financial.
Fortunately, during 2023 and 2024, Ally rode out these headwinds. Starting last year, the company began to make a major recovery. Shares rose nearly 30% in 2025, outpacing the S&P 500 index's (^GSPC 1.23%) 16.4% gain for the year. Improved results have driven this rebound, with further improvements expected in the coming year.
As auto loan market conditions normalize and net interest margins widen, sell-side analysts expect Ally's earnings to continue recovering. Current forecasts call for earnings of $5.38 per share, nearly 44% more than 2025 forecasts of $3.75. If this rebound continues, Ally shares could regain their past mid-$50s high watermark, or even loftier price levels.
2. Low oil prices may not hold back Chevron for long
At first glance, Chevron may seem like one of the more overvalued stocks in the Berkshire Hathaway equity portfolio. For one, shares in the integrated oil and gas company trade for about 20 times forward price-to-earnings (P/E).
This represents a substantial premium to competitors like ExxonMobil (XOM +1.85%), which trades for about 16.9 times forward earnings. Moreover, the energy sector in general remains under pressure due to continued weakness in crude oil and natural gas prices. Yet while commodity price headwinds led to weakness in Chevron's price performance this year, don't assume this will persist in 2026 and beyond.
A key reason Chevron is pricey compared to current results has to do with investor optimism about various potential catalysts. Investors remain bullish about Chevron's aggressive cost-cutting plans. They are also still bullish about Chevron's plans to build natural gas power plants to generate electricity for AI data centers.
Add in the prospect of an oil price rebound in 2027 and 2028, and it's easy to see why it could pay to remain optimistic about Chevron shares. If earnings begin to rebound sooner than expected, this energy stock could make a breakout move in the coming year.
3. Kraft Heinz's impending split-up could be a game changer for investors
Kraft Heinz is one of the largest equity positions in the Berkshire portfolio; the conglomerate holds a 27.5% stake worth about $7.9 billion.. However, it may be one that both the company and the investing legend himself want to forget about.
In fact, last year, Berkshire's representatives on the board stepped down. Buffett's holding company also recorded a $5 billion impairment loss on its position. Due to the size and circumstances behind its acquisition, Berkshire values this investment using the equity method rather than the mark-to-market method.
Yet while Berkshire has already realized big losses on this investment, don't assume that means new investors should stay away. Why? This year, Kraft Heinz plans to split into two companies, via a stock spinoff of its slower-growing staple foods business from its faster-growing sauce, spreads, and seasonings business.
This divestiture could unlock tremendous value. Shares in the packaged foods company currently trade for only 9.5 times forward earnings. For comparison, most other packaged foods companies trade at forward P/E ratios in the mid-teens.
