New York, Jan 24, 2026, 05:43 EST — Market closed.
- Berkshire Hathaway’s Class B shares dropped 1.1% on Friday, with Class A shares also edging lower.
- With the Fed decision looming and a packed week of megacap earnings ahead, investors brace for moves that could shift the major indexes.
- A Kraft Heinz filing registered Berkshire’s shares for potential resale but didn’t indicate any planned transaction.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s Class B shares slipped 1.1% Friday, finishing at $478.97. The stock ended the week weaker ahead of the U.S. market’s weekend closure. Meanwhile, Berkshire’s Class A shares dropped 1.0% to $720,932.18.
The timing is crucial. Next week features a Federal Reserve policy decision alongside a packed schedule of quarterly earnings from major tech giants — both key drivers for risk appetite and overall equity flows. “It’s been a little bit of a short but steep roller-coaster ride,” said Yung-Yu Ma, chief investment strategist at PNC Financial Services Group. 1
Berkshire investors now have a new signal to consider. A Kraft Heinz Company filing from Jan. 20 revealed the food giant submitted a prospectus supplement registering the possible resale of up to 325,442,152 shares by Berkshire Hathaway. The filing makes clear this “is not itself a sale” and doesn’t guarantee Berkshire will unload any shares. Kraft Heinz also noted it would get no proceeds from a sale and confirmed no new securities would be issued.
Berkshire Hathaway’s shares dipped as Wall Street closed out a choppy week with the Dow off 0.58% on Friday. The S&P 500 held steady, while the Nasdaq managed a 0.28% gain. Intel took a hit after lowering its outlook, drawing attention ahead of a heavy slate of megacap earnings next week. “We’re feeling pretty good, but mindful we might have some significant twists and turns,” said Jason Blackwell, chief investment strategist at Focus Partners Wealth. 2
Berkshire’s Class B shares saw heavy action Friday, with roughly 5.4 million changing hands—well above the 50-day average of about 4.8 million, according to MarketWatch. The stock still lingers around 11.6% below its 52-week peak of $542.26 but has gained roughly 3.7% so far this year. 3
Kraft Heinz shares closed Friday up 2.0%, reaching $23.20. At that price, Berkshire’s registered stake would be worth about $7.6 billion if liquidated.
Rate expectations are creating another headwind. Berkshire’s insurance units produce huge pools of investable cash, and moves in short-term rates directly impact returns on these cash-like assets. At the same time, rising yields tend to put pressure on stock valuations across the board.
The downside risk is clear if inflation remains stubborn and trade-related costs climb. A Reuters report on Friday referenced a survey where companies flagged import tariffs as a key driver of higher prices. Chris Williamson from S&P Global noted that “increased costs, widely blamed on tariffs,” are once again a major factor behind rising prices. If inflation pressures stick around, interest rates could stay elevated for longer, forcing a market repricing that would hit equities, including Berkshire. 4
As U.S. markets reopen Monday, all eyes will be on whether Berkshire can regain its footing after Friday’s dip and if Kraft Heinz’s prospectus filing leads to any concrete moves. Berkshire’s next key date is its annual shareholder meeting in Omaha on May 2, per the company. 5
