Greg Abel used his first investor letter as Berkshire Hathaway's CEO to affirm his commitment to dealmaking, echoing Warren Buffett's investment principles. In the letter, Abel defended the conglomerate's $373 billion cash position, calling it a "strategic asset" that allows Berkshire to act decisively during market uncertainty.

Abel highlighted recent acquisitions including a $9.7 billion chemicals business purchase from Occidental Petroleum and the pending acquisition of pest control company Bell Laboratories. He positioned Berkshire as "an asset, not a risk" to America's financial system, signaling the company remains active in evaluating new investments.

The letter accompanied fourth-quarter results showing a 30 percent decline in operating earnings to $10.2 billion, driven by weakness in the insurance division. Abel has already begun reshaping Berkshire's leadership, hiring its first internal legal counsel and appointing a new CFO from the energy business.