Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting: Buffett set to take the stage in Omaha

The annual Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) shareholder meeting is here.

Called "Woodstock for Capitalists," the weekend's main event is set to kick off this morning with Warren Buffett taking questions from CNBC's Becky Quick as well as Berkshire shareholders.

Buffett will again be joined onstage by Greg Abel and Ajit Jain, Berkshire's vice chairmen. Abel, who runs Berkshire's operating businesses, is set to take over as CEO of Berkshire after Buffett. Jain runs Berkshire's insurance operations.

This year's Q&A session is set to be a bit tighter than in year's past. Buffett, Abel, and Jain are set to take questions from 9:00 a.m. ET to 11:30 a.m. ET. After a 30-minute break, Buffett and Abel will take questions for another two hours.

The company's stock has been an outperformer this year, rising more than 18% year-to-date against a 3% drop for the S&P 500.

In February, Berkshire's annual report revealed the company's cash pile nearly doubled to $334 billion as it sold down some stock positions, though Buffett noted in his letter to shareholders that "the great majority of your money remains in equities. That preference won't change."

Investors want to hear Buffett talk tariffs

As investors and observers await legendary investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett speak at the Berkshire's annual shareholders meeting, one topic is at top of mind: tariffs.

"The far-reaching nature of their businesses and investments make them a microcosm for the whole economy," Cathy Seifert, an analyst at CFRA, told Reuters. "The overarching concern is we need insight into the degree to which tariffs will cause demand destruction or a slowdown in the economy."

Robin Nasser, a certified public accountant who is attending the meeting, told Reuters: “Warren Buffett has steered away from discussing tariffs, and people are clamoring to hear what he thinks. He obviously knows something we don't because he's stockpiling cash.”