Warren Buffet has handed over the reins as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway to Greg Abel, after a six-decade tenure that resulted in an annual gain of 19.9% and an overall return of more than 5.5 million percent. The company’s shares rose from around $19 in the mid-1960s to over $750,000 by the end of 2025. Buffet will remain chairman of the company and will continue to pen a Thanksgiving message each year. Abel will take over responsibility for Berkshire’s annual shareholder letters.
In 2025, Berkshire Hathaway’s stock price slightly underperformed compared to the S&P 500 index. The company’s A shares fell 14.4% to reach a closing low for the year of $692,600 on August 4, following Buffet’s announcement in early May that CEO responsibilities would be transferred to Abel by the end of the year. The shares recovered, closing 2025 at $754,800, an approximate 10.9% increase for the year.
The United States has decreased proposed duties on several Italian pasta makers following a review of their operations. The U.S. Department of Commerce reduced tariffs for two producers in particular, La Molisana and Garofalo. Following the reassessment, La Molisana faces a rate of 2.26%, and Garofalo a rate of 13.98%. The remaining 11 producers face a revised tariff of 9.09%.
Wall Street forecasters expect U.S. stocks to continue their upward trend in 2026, albeit with variance in the degree of projected growth. Analysts at Bank of America anticipate the S&P 500 to rise to 7,100 points by the end of 2026. However, Deutsche Bank’s analysts predict the S&P 500 could reach 8,000 points by year-end, suggesting a 16.87% increase. Wall Street’s bullish outlook is primarily based on AI. NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Tesla, and Palantir are listed as top stock picks for the coming year.
Novo Nordisk, a Danish drugmaker, enters 2026 needing to regain investor confidence in its weight loss business. The company has just received U.S. approval for its new weight loss pill, Wegovy, and its stock rose nearly 10% following the announcement.
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