Berkshire Hathaway's Operating Profit Up, Cash Hits Record High

• Operating profit rose 18% to $11.35 billion ($7,891 per Class A share), with net income more than doubling to $10.1 billion
• Cash stake hit record $397.4 billion amid continued stock sales, selling $8.1 billion more stocks than purchased in Q1, though the company bought Occidental Petroleum's chemicals business for $9.5 billion
• Berkshire repurchased $234 million of its own stock, marking first buybacks since May 2024, while Class A shares are up 6% in 2026

Berkshire Hathaway Q1 2026 Summary

Key Financial Results:

Berkshire Hathaway reported strong first-quarter results, with operating profit rising 18% to $11.35 billion ($7,891 per Class A share). Net income more than doubled to $10.1 billion ($7,027 per Class A share), though the company emphasizes operating profit as the more meaningful metric due to accounting rules that include unrealized investment gains in net income.

Cash Position and Capital Allocation:

The conglomerate's cash holdings reached a record $397.4 billion at the end of March, reflecting ongoing challenges in finding suitable major acquisitions. Berkshire was a net seller of stocks for the 14th consecutive quarter, selling $8.1 billion more in equities than it purchased. Notable stock sales have included reducing its position in Apple. The company repurchased $234 million of its own shares—its first buybacks since May 2024—but did not buy back stock in the first two weeks of April.

Notable Transaction:

Berkshire paid $9.5 billion in January to acquire Occidental Petroleum's chemicals business, marking a significant deployment of capital.

Leadership Transition:

This quarter marked the first under new CEO Greg Abel, who succeeded Warren Buffett in January. Buffett remains as chairman.

Market Performance:

Berkshire Class A shares are up 6% year-to-date in 2026. The results were released ahead of the company's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha.

Segment Performance:

Operating profit gains were driven primarily by the insurance division and other major operating segments across Berkshire's diverse portfolio of businesses.