If I Could Only Buy and Hold a Single Stock, This Would Be It.

By Keith Speights – Feb 16, 2026 at 5:41AM ESTKey PointsBerkshire Hathaway offers diversification that rivals some ETFs.The stock is a great choice even with Warren Buffett no longer at the helm.These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›NYSE: BRKBBerkshire HathawayMarket Cap$1.1TToday's Changeangle-down(-0.51%) $2.56Current Price$497.45Price as of February 13, 2026 at 3:59 PM ETThis one stock provides exposure to many other stocks representing multiple sectors.I'm glad there's no limit on how many stocks you can buy. My portfolio includes dozens of stocks. It would be hard for me to significantly whittle down the number. What if I had to put all of my money in just one stock? That would be especially difficult. However, if I could buy and hold a single stock, I know which one it would be -- Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B). Image source: Getty Images. The biggest plus for Berkshire There's one overriding reason why I'd go with Berkshire Hathaway. The stock offers as much diversification as some exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Investing in Berkshire means investing in a wide range of companies spanning multiple sectors. Berkshire has over 60 subsidiaries. The conglomerate's insurance and energy businesses get the most attention. But Berkshire also owns homebuilders, manufacturers, railroads, restaurant chains, retailers, and more. Even greater diversification comes from Berkshire's investments. Berkshire's portfolio includes well over 40 stocks of other publicly traded companies. Holding shares of Berkshire would allow me to still maintain positions indirectly in five other stocks I currently own: Apple (AAPL 2.27%), Google parent Alphabet (GOOG 1.10%) (GOOGL 1.08%), Amazon (AMZN 0.41%), Chevron (CVX +0.66%), and Mastercard (MA 1.73%). In addition, owning a stake in Berkshire Hathaway provides exposure to other stocks that I don't currently have in my portfolio but have solid long-term prospects. This list includes, but isn't limited to, American Express (AXP 1.57%), Coca-Cola (KO 0.43%), and Visa (V 3.12%). ExpandNYSE: BRKBBerkshire HathawayToday's Change(-0.51%) $-2.56Current Price$497.45Key Data PointsMarket Cap$1.1TDay's Range$495.50 - $502.0052wk Range$455.19 - $542.07Volume249KAvg Vol4.9MGross Margin24.85% Still an excellent stock even with Buffett no longer at the helm Does the fact that Warren Buffett is no longer at Berkshire's helm diminish the appeal of the stock? Nope. Don't get me wrong: I admire and respect Buffett immensely. But I also understand that his philosophy, which has made Berkshire great over the decades, will remain in place. I also believe that Berkshire Hathaway is in capable hands with Greg Abel as CEO. Buffett even stated at the company's annual shareholder meeting that he planned to hold onto every share of Berkshire he owned. He explained, "[T]he decision to keep every share is an economic decision, because I think the prospects of Berkshire will be better under Greg's management than mine." Of course, Buffett isn't stepping away completely. He continues to serve as Berkshire's chairman. Even if he weren't, though, I'd still pick Berkshire Hathaway as my one stock to buy and hold if I couldn't own any other stocks. Read NextFeb 13, 2026 •By Eric VolkmanShould You Buy Berkshire Hathaway Stock Before Earnings?Feb 7, 2026 •By Dan CaplingerWill Berkshire Hathaway Be the Same After Buffett -- or Better?Feb 6, 2026 •By Dan CaplingerWhy Berkshire Hathaway Is a Better Business Than You Might ThinkFeb 6, 2026 •By Adam LevyWarren Buffett's Successor Greg Abel Just Sold This Long-Time Berkshire Hathaway HoldingFeb 5, 2026 •By David Jagielski, CPACould This Be the First Big Move for Berkshire Hathaway's New CEO?Feb 5, 2026 •By Dan CaplingerCan Warren Buffett's Stock Keep Up Its Amazing Record of Past Performance?About the AuthorKeith Speights is a contributing Motley Fool healthcare analyst covering publicly traded companies across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, technology, and marijuana. Prior to The Motley Fool, Keith was CEO of Constant Care Technology, a healthcare technology company; vice president of American HealthTech, a healthcare software company; and a director of operations for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi, a health insurer. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University.TMFFishBizStocks MentionedBerkshire HathawayNYSE: BRKB$497.55 (0.49%) $2.46Berkshire HathawayNYSE: BRKA$751424.99 (+0.25%) $+1884.99AlphabetNASDAQ: GOOGL$305.65 (1.08%) $3.35AppleNASDAQ: AAPL$255.98 (2.20%) $5.75AmazonNASDAQ: AMZN$198.79 (0.41%) $0.81American ExpressNYSE: AXP$337.55 (1.55%) $5.33VisaNYSE: V$314.19 (3.08%) $9.99Coca-ColaNYSE: KO$78.66 (0.43%) $0.34ChevronNYSE: CVX$183.74 (+0.73%) $+1.34MastercardNYSE: MA$518.32 (1.73%) $9.14AlphabetNASDAQ: GOOG$305.96 (1.10%) $3.41*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.