Catenaa, Wednesday, January 28, 2026- Berkshire Hathaway, under new CEO Greg Abel, has formally registered its entire 27.5 percent stake in Kraft Heinz, clearing the way for a potential exit from a holding long considered a rare misstep for Warren Buffett.
Berkshire, Kraft Heinz’s largest shareholder, filed the registration Wednesday, prompting shares of the packaged-food maker to drop as much as 7.5 percent in intraday trading.
The filing provides flexibility to reduce the stake, though it does not signal an immediate sale. Analysts expect updates on the position in mid-May with Berkshire’s first fiscal quarter filings.
The move reflects Abel’s intent to streamline the portfolio early in his tenure and distance the company from the 2015 merger of Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz, orchestrated with Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital.
The merger has underperformed expectations, with Kraft Heinz shares down roughly 70 percent over the past decade amid rising costs, sluggish growth in core brands and changing consumer tastes. Berkshire also recorded a $3.8 billion write-down on the investment last year.
Kraft Heinz is pursuing a split into two entities, one focused on sauces, spreads and shelf-stable meals, and another on North American staples such as Oscar Mayer meats and Kraft cheese singles.
Buffett has publicly acknowledged the merger did not achieve its intended results but said a breakup may not fully resolve the challenges.
Stifel analysts noted that Berkshire can reduce its stake without notifying the market beyond quarterly 13F filings. They maintained a hold rating on Kraft Heinz, citing softer U.S. consumption trends and slower growth in emerging markets, while highlighting continued strong cash flow.
