If you’re staring at your brokerage account wondering why is brk b down today, you aren't alone. It’s a Sunday, January 18, 2026. The markets are technically closed for the weekend, but the "price" you’re seeing is likely the fallout from Friday’s closing bell or the general mood of a very weird January.
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) finished Friday at roughly $493.29. That’s down from the $500 level it was flirting with earlier this month. Honestly, it’s been a bit of a slog for the Omaha giant lately.
The big elephant in the room isn't just a lack of deals. It's the empty chair.
The "Succession Discount" is finally real
For twenty years, people talked about what would happen when Warren Buffett finally stepped away. Well, we’re here. As of early 2026, Greg Abel is officially the CEO.
Warren is still Chairman, but the vibe has shifted. Wall Street is currently applying what analysts call a succession discount. Basically, investors are nervous. They're asking: Can Greg actually pick winners like Warren? Even though Abel has been running the non-insurance side for years, the market is skeptical.
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The stock has dipped about 10% since the formal transition announcement. People are selling the "uncertainty." It’s not that the company is failing—it’s that it’s now a "normal" company instead of a "Warren Buffett" company in the eyes of many traders.
That $382 billion cash mountain
You’d think having nearly $400 billion in cash would make a stock go up. Kinda the opposite right now.
Investors are actually annoyed by the cash. Why? Because the S&P 500 has been getting pricier, with a CAPE ratio (that’s the cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings) sitting near 39. That is historically expensive.
- Buffett and Abel have been net sellers for 12 quarters straight.
- They’ve been trimming massive stakes in Apple and Bank of America.
- They aren't finding anything "cheap" to buy.
When Berkshire sits on cash, it’s a signal. It tells the market, "We think everything is too expensive." If you’re a growth investor, you hate seeing cash sit idle. You want it working. Right now, that cash is just earning Treasury yields, which is boring. Boredom leads to selling.
Technicals and the "Holding Pattern"
If you look at the charts, BRK.B is stuck. It’s been oscillating around the $500 mark for what feels like forever.
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Technically speaking, the stock is sitting just below its 100-day simple moving average of roughly $497. When a stock breaks below that line, computer algorithms often trigger "sell" orders. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
We also saw some weirdness this week with Chubb (CB). Some analysts are claiming Chubb is actually a "safer" insurance play right now because their return on equity (ROE) is slightly higher than Berkshire’s. When a big-name analyst suggests a rival is better, you usually see a small exodus of institutional money.
The psychological "Trillion-Dollar" wall
Berkshire officially crossed the $1 trillion market cap threshold recently. Psychologically, that’s a hard ceiling to push through.
Think about it. To double your money from here, Berkshire has to become a $2 trillion company. That’s a lot of See’s Candies and Geico policies. Investors are starting to wonder if the "easy gains" are over.
There’s also some chatter on Reddit and investor forums about recent management changes. Todd Combs (one of the key investment guys) took a board seat at JP Morgan, and long-time CFO Marc Hamburg retired. To an outsider, it looks like the old guard is leaving all at once. It’s a lot of change for a company that prides itself on being "boring and stable."
What you should actually do
If you're holding BRK.B, don't panic. The "down" move today is mostly noise and transition jitters.
- Check the valuation: Berkshire is trading at a price-to-book (P/B) ratio of about 1.53. That’s slightly higher than its 5-year average of 1.44. It’s not "dirt cheap," but it’s certainly not a bubble.
- Watch the cash: The moment Greg Abel announces a massive "elephant-sized" acquisition, this stock will likely pop. That cash is a coiled spring.
- Remember the businesses: Berkshire owns BNSF Railway, Geico, and a dozen energy companies. These aren't tech startups. They make real money every single day, regardless of who is in the CEO chair.
The real reason why is brk b down today is a mix of high market valuations and a world trying to figure out what Berkshire looks like without the Oracle of Omaha's daily input. It’s a transition year. Expect some bumps.
Actionable Insight: If you're a long-term holder, look at the $485–$490 range. Historically, when Berkshire dips toward its 200-day moving average, it’s been a solid entry point for those who believe in the "Abel era." Keep an eye on the next earnings report in February for more clarity on share buybacks—that's the ultimate signal of what management thinks the stock is worth.