Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) Stock Soars as Q2 Earnings Surge 107.5%

Key Highlights

Table of Contents

Q2 2026 net earnings for Berkshire Hathaway jumped 107.5% from the previous year to reach $25.7 billion
Operating income increased 16.3% to hit $12.9 billion during the second quarter
The company recorded $16.08 billion in investment gains, fueled by unrealized gains in major equity positions
Stock buybacks totaled $4.53 billion in Q2, with first-half repurchases reaching $4.76 billion
The conglomerate’s cash holdings reached an all-time high of $359.2 billion under Greg Abel’s leadership

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway delivered impressive second-quarter results on Saturday, with net earnings climbing to $25.67 billion—more than twice the $12.37 billion recorded in the year-ago quarter.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc., BRK-A

Per-share earnings on an average equivalent Class B basis jumped 107.8% to $11.91. For Class A shareholders, earnings per share climbed to $17,868 from $8,601 in the comparable period last year.

The impressive bottom-line figure was significantly boosted by $16.08 billion in investment gains, primarily reflecting unrealized appreciation in Berkshire’s substantial public stock portfolio. Major positions such as Apple, Alphabet, American Express, Bank of America, and Coca-Cola all generated meaningful paper profits during the quarter.

$BRK.B (Berkshire Hathaway) #earnings are out: pic.twitter.com/gDemMVDGuB
— The Earnings Correspondent (@earnings_guy) August 8, 2026

Operating income—the metric Warren Buffett historically emphasized as a more reliable indicator of underlying business health—increased 16.3% to $12.9 billion in the quarter.

Share Repurchase Activity Accelerates

During the second quarter, Berkshire bought back $4.53 billion worth of its own shares, representing a notable increase from the more subdued activity in the first quarter. Combined first-half buybacks totaled $4.76 billion.

According to Berkshire’s established share repurchase framework, the company only buys back stock when leadership determines shares are undervalued relative to intrinsic worth and when cash reserves remain comfortably above the $30 billion minimum threshold.

The heightened buyback activity occurred despite Berkshire’s cash position reaching a record $359.2 billion by quarter-end. This suggests that CEO Greg Abel views the current valuation as attractive for returning capital to shareholders.

Six-Month Performance Overview

Looking at the first half of 2026, net earnings soared 110.7% to $35.8 billion. Operating income rose 16.9% to $24.3 billion over the same period.

Six-month net earnings per average equivalent Class B share came in at $7.87, representing a 110.8% increase compared to the first half of the previous year.

The company’s insurance float—representing net liabilities from insurance operations—totaled approximately $177.5 billion as of June 30. This marked an increase of roughly $1.1 billion from the December 2025 year-end figure.

As of June 30, 2026, there were 1,431,693 Class A equivalent shares outstanding, demonstrating the effect of ongoing share repurchases.

These second-quarter results were released on Saturday, August 8, 2026.