Affirm Holdings (AFRM) delivered robust Q4 fiscal 2026 results with revenues rising 33% to $1.17 billion and GMV reaching $14.1 billion, up 36% year-over-year. Active cardholders more than doubled to 5.2 million with a 19% card attach rate. The company projects fiscal 2027 GMV above $64 billion and adjusted operating margins exceeding 30.5%. Peer payment processors Mastercard, Visa, and American Express also reported strong quarterly performance with double-digit revenue growth.

Berkshire Hathaway holds nearly 45% of DaVita, a kidney dialysis healthcare company, representing its largest proportional equity stake—larger than Apple or American Express. Despite recent modest sell-offs in 2025, DaVita has surged over 56% year-to-date, driven by strong Q1 earnings that beat analyst expectations. The company offers consistent profitability, revenue growth, and an attractive forward P/E ratio of just over 12.

Mastercard has partnered with Klook to enhance travel offerings and cardholder benefits across Asia Pacific. The collaboration aims to provide exclusive discounts and develop innovative payment solutions, capitalizing on growing demand for experience-led travel where 47% of APAC consumers seek deals and 23% choose destinations based on specific activities.

Since becoming CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Greg Abel has maintained high concentration in five blue-chip stocks (Apple, American Express, Alphabet, Bank of America, and Coca-Cola), which now represent 60% of the portfolio. While this concentration is largely inherited from Warren Buffett's long-term investments, the article argues that downside risk is manageable given Berkshire's strong financial position. The greater concern is whether Abel can match Buffett's stock selection track record going forward.

Visa's Acceptance Solutions has partnered with Bluefin to create a unified in-person payment platform that integrates PCI-validated encryption, device management, and tokenization. The collaboration aims to simplify payment processing, reduce compliance burdens for large merchants, and help Visa capture more value across the payment ecosystem by leveraging Bluefin's network of 40,000+ businesses and $350 billion in annual protected transactions.

Berkshire Hathaway has invested in Macy's for the first time in six decades, building a 2.8% stake worth approximately $174 million. The investment comes as Macy's executes a turnaround strategy, closing underperforming stores while upgrading others, and posted strong Q1 results with revenue growth and significantly higher earnings. Despite analyst skepticism with an average price target below current levels, Berkshire appears attracted to the retailer's valuation at roughly 10 times trailing earnings.

Coca-Cola, Warren Buffett's longest-held equity position, has hit an all-time high under Greg Abel's leadership. The stock is up 26% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500's 14% gain. Buffett's 1988 investment of $1.3 billion has grown to nearly $35 billion, with the company maintaining its dominance through strong marketing, a 64-year dividend increase streak, and 6% organic revenue growth despite inflationary pressures.

Berkshire Hathaway's new CEO Greg Abel has invested $4.2 billion in stock buybacks during Q2 2026, continuing Warren Buffett's strategy of returning capital to shareholders. Abel has also invested over $20 billion in Alphabet since taking over as CEO. With $365 billion in cash reserves, Berkshire is well-positioned to continue buybacks and strategic investments.

Under new CEO Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway has shifted from its conservative cash-hoarding strategy to actively deploying capital. The company resumed share buybacks ($4.5B in Q2), became a net stock buyer for the first time in 3+ years (including a $10B Alphabet investment), and acquired homebuilder Taylor Morrison. Operating earnings grew 16% in Q2, though insurance underwriting profits declined. With $365.5B in cash remaining and an attractive valuation (1.85x tangible book value), analysts view the stock as a compelling long-term buy.

Greg Abel, who took over as Berkshire Hathaway CEO on December 31, 2025, maintains Warren Buffett's portfolio concentration strategy with 63% ($222.3 billion) of the $355 billion portfolio invested in just five stocks. While Abel shares Buffett's focus on indefinite core holdings like Coca-Cola and American Express, he is distinctly more bullish on technology stocks including Apple and Alphabet. Berkshire has reduced its Bank of America position by 50% since mid-2024 as the stock no longer trades at a discount to book value.

American Express stock has underperformed its competitors and major indexes this year, down 6% YTD while Visa is up 6% and Mastercard is flat. However, the article argues the stock may be underrated based on strong Q2 earnings (revenue +10% YoY, EPS beat), raised revenue guidance to 10% growth, and projected 14% earnings growth for 2026. Concerns about higher operating expenses are offset by CEO commentary on necessary investments in customer acquisition and long-term growth. Trading at 20x earnings with a long growth runway, American Express is positioned as an underrated buy.

American Express is better positioned to weather a recession than PayPal due to its stronger business model, affluent customer base, and natural resistance to economic downturns. While American Express benefits from higher interest rates and has a wider competitive moat, PayPal faces declining margins, slowing growth, and vulnerability to retail spending slowdowns. Analysts expect American Express to grow faster through 2028, making it the more resilient choice during economic uncertainty.