Motley Fool speculation links Greg Abel’s Berkshire investing style to the hunt for a new “Apple”

A recent market commentary revisiting Berkshire Hathaway’s investments is drawing attention to Greg Abel’s role as Warren Buffett’s successor, framing the question as a search for the “next Apple” at Berkshire. Published Monday, the piece asks whether Abel, now leading the company, has already identified the kind of long-term compounder that once made Apple a standout Buffett bet.

The article, carried in the Yahoo Finance feed, makes the case through a comparison lens rather than a new disclosure. It highlights that Abel “could” be positioned to make a similarly durable, large-scale investment, and it points to a figure described as “$23 billion” already put into “this company” and the possibility of more buying. However, the post does not, in the material available for this review, provide the underlying primary details such as the identity of the company, the acquisition date range, or the source of the $23 billion figure (for example, a specific filing line item).

Berkshire’s situation has also been a moving target for investors, and that broader backdrop matters for why such speculation can travel quickly. CNBC reported that Berkshire shares have lagged the S&P 500, with the gap between Berkshire’s performance and the benchmark widening over the year to date. CNBC also noted that the stock’s pullback has increased interest from some investors who argue the market may be underpricing Berkshire’s businesses.

In that same CNBC account, analysts cited by the outlet described Berkshire as potentially undervalued relative to intrinsic value and referenced the company’s capital return approach. The report said Berkshire’s policy is to buy back shares when the repurchase price is below conservatively determined intrinsic value, and it also pointed to the company resuming buybacks after a pause, without giving further details in a way that could be directly verified from the excerpt provided here.

For Apple itself, the connection is more conceptual than operational in the current available material. Apple is used as a benchmark example of a uniquely successful Buffett-era investment, while the Abel-era question is whether Berkshire’s current leader can identify another similarly durable holding. The focus is on investor narrative, not an Apple announcement or a Berkshire filing in the text available for this write-up.

Sector context is relevant. Berkshire’s edge historically has come from insurance and long-lived operating businesses, alongside patience with concentrated equity bets. When a stock like Berkshire trades down, it can make investors more willing to revisit the “quality of the next big idea” question, which is where opinion columns often find momentum.

Still, several specifics remain unclear based on what has been provided for review. The identity of the “company” associated with the “$23 billion” figure is not stated in the available excerpt, and there is no primary-source accounting detail shown here, such as a specific Berkshire 13F disclosure, annual report table, or buyback authorization update. Without those documents, any claim about what Abel bought, when it was accumulated, and at what price must be treated as commentary rather than confirmed fact.

What to watch next is whether Berkshire releases additional clarity on its capital allocation and portfolio changes, particularly through regulatory filings and investor communications. Investors will likely look for whether buybacks remain active, whether Berkshire’s next major equity position becomes visible in public disclosures, and whether the market narrative about “the next Apple” turns into verifiable details rather than a comparison argument.