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Berkshire Doubles Buybacks as Earnings Slip

Berkshire Hathaway's third-quarter operating earnings fell 5.8% on weaker insurance underwriting, but buybacks more than doubled to about $9.6bn. The results came after Friday's close, so Monday is the first session to price them.

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B) reported a 5.8% fall in third-quarter operating earnings to $12.7bn while more than doubling its share buybacks. The conglomerate, which owns insurers including Geico, the BNSF railroad and energy businesses, published results on Saturday, after Friday’s close.

The Class B shares closed at $570.89 on Friday, up 5.2% on the week while the S&P 500 fell 2.7%, which CNBC attributed to an AI-led tech selloff. The stock sits about 2.6% below its 52-week high, and the results are not yet priced.

BRK-B.US

Operating earnings, Berkshire’s own non-GAAP measure that excludes investment gains and losses, were $12.7bn against $13.5bn a year earlier. Net earnings fell 28% to $22.1bn from $30.8bn because investment gains were smaller.

Insurance caused the drop. Underwriting profit was $1.35bn against $2.37bn, and insurance investment income slipped to $2.73bn from $3.18bn. Bloomberg attributed the decline to losses and expenses at Geico and lower short-term interest rates.

Three other divisions grew in the third quarter of 2026 against 2025 ($m).

SegmentQ3 2026Q3 2025
Insurance underwriting1,3522,369
Insurance investment income2,7343,181
BNSF1,7291,449
Berkshire Hathaway Energy1,6121,489
Manufacturing, service and retailing4,0423,616
Other1,2361,381
Operating earnings12,70513,485

BNSF, energy and manufacturing, service and retailing all improved. The “other” line fell, and included $343m of currency losses against a $331m gain a year earlier.

Line chart of Berkshire Class B against the S&P 500 over the week to 6 November, with Berkshire rising as the index fell
Berkshire Class B against the S&P 500, indexed to 100 at the 30 October close.

Berkshire spent about $9.6bn on buybacks in the quarter, against $4.5bn in the second quarter, and $14.4bn over nine months. Bloomberg read the buyback as a sign that the shares are undervalued.

Over nine months, operating earnings rose 8.0% to $37.0bn from $34.3bn. Insurance float, the premiums held before claims are paid, was about $178.5bn.

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