The conglomerate more than doubled its quarterly repurchases as operating earnings fell 5.8% from a year earlier to $12.71 billion, with weaker insurance results weighing on profit. It repurchased $4.5 billion in the second quarter, while insurance underwriting profit fell 43% to $1.35 billion.
Berkshire Hathaway bought back $9.6 billion of its own shares in the third quarter of 2026, more than twice the $4.5 billion repurchased in the second quarter, while operating earnings from its wholly owned businesses fell 5.8% from a year earlier to $12.71 billion. The company disclosed the results on 7 November, CNBC said.
Reuters characterized the increased buybacks as Berkshire finding its own shares among the best assets in which to invest its large cash holdings. The company bought back about $2 billion more of its shares in the first four weeks of October.
Operating earnings fell 5.8% from a year earlier to $12.71 billion as insurance profits pulled back. Insurance underwriting profit—the result from the business of selling and covering policies—declined to $1.35 billion. Insurance investment income fell 14% to $2.73 billion. Earnings grew at Berkshire’s railroad, energy and manufacturing businesses.
At insurer Geico, pretax underwriting profit fell 45%, while accident losses and advertising spending increased.
Berkshire’s overall earnings, which also include results from its stock portfolio, fell 28% from a year earlier to $22.11 billion. Investment gains fell 46% to $9.4 billion, Fortune said, citing the quarterly report.
Total cash holdings rose 3% from $365.51 billion in the second quarter to $377.44 billion. On a different measure that excludes railroad and utility cash and Treasury-bill payables, holdings fell 1.9% to $352.3 billion.
Berkshire bought $2.4 billion of stocks and sold about $2.8 billion during the quarter. Fortune said a more detailed filing later in November will reveal the company’s precise portfolio moves.
The draft would let strategic projects operate for up to 70 years, with corporate income tax exemptions for up to four years and subsequent reductions of up to 50% for no more than nine years. A parliamentary committee says the incentives are very high and their benefits have not been assessed.
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The proposed order would require Progress Residential to show total monthly rent more prominently, including mandatory fees. A federal judge must approve and sign it before it takes effect.
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The proposed purchase, worth about $2.9 billion, would add 8 European liquid-storage terminals to the Indian port operator’s business, subject to approvals and consultation.
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Update ·
Revised from the day's reports.
Update ·
Added Berkshire’s investment gains and quarterly stock purchases and sales.
