Berkshire shares trade higher as Buffett successor Abel scores good marks at meetin...

Berkshire Hathaway shares rose in premarket trading Monday after CEO Greg Abel's solid performance over the weekend helming the annual meeting for the first time, as well as a jump in the conglomerate's earnings. Class B shares of the conglomerate gained 0.5%, following the positive reception to Warren Buffett's handpicked successor at the Berkshire Hathaway gathering in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday. Many in the investment community acknowledged the loss of the wit and storytelling that were Buffett's signature, but were also reassured by the demonstration of Abel's firm grasp over Berkshire's sprawling enterprise, as well as his insights into the conglomerate's future direction. "Very solid. No misspoke words. Thorough answers," said Steve Check, founder of Check Capital Management. "Nice guy, but we sure don't have the laughs that we had with Warren and Charlie [Munger]." One key theme Abel addressed in the morning and afternoon sessions on Saturday was artificial intelligence, a topic shareholders had been eager to hear more on prior to the event. The CEO specified that Berkshire won't be doing "AI for the sake of AI," a measured stance that's a departure from other corporate executives racing to integrate the technology. At one point in the morning, Abel fielded a question from a deepfake version of Buffett, which he then turned into a discussion on the cybersecurity risks around AI. The CEO was also joined during the event by other members of his leadership team, inc