European Investor
05 Aug 2025, 18:27
Berkshire Hathaway Q2 Net Earnings Fall Amid Investment Swings; Operating Profit Stable
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A, BRK.B) reported Q2 2025 net earnings of $12.4 billion, down sharply from $30.3 billion a year earlier, primarily due to lower investment gains and a $3.8 billion impairment on Kraft Heinz. However, operating earnings, which exclude market swings, held steady at $11.2 billion, versus $11.6 billion last year.
Key Figures:
• Net EPS: $8,601 for Class A; $5.73 for Class B
• Operating earnings: $11.2B in Q2; $20.8B in H1 2025 vs. $22.8B in H1 2024
• Insurance investment income rose to $3.37B
• BNSF railroad and energy businesses posted moderate gains
• Foreign currency losses totaled $877M in Q2
Investment results were volatile: Q2 included $4.2B in realized gains and $1.5B in unrealized gains, but H1 2025 saw a $5.9B net unrealized loss. Berkshire emphasized that investment fluctuations make net income less reflective of actual business performance.
Insurance float reached $174 billion, up $3B since year-end 2024.
Berkshire urged investors to consult its full 10-Q filing for deeper analysis.
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A, BRK.B) reported Q2 2025 net earnings of $12.4 billion, down sharply from $30.3 billion a year earlier, primarily due to lower investment gains and a $3.8 billion impairment on Kraft Heinz. However, operating earnings, which exclude market swings, held steady at $11.2 billion, versus $11.6 billion last year.
Key Figures:
• Net EPS: $8,601 for Class A; $5.73 for Class B
• Operating earnings: $11.2B in Q2; $20.8B in H1 2025 vs. $22.8B in H1 2024
• Insurance investment income rose to $3.37B
• BNSF railroad and energy businesses posted moderate gains
• Foreign currency losses totaled $877M in Q2
Investment results were volatile: Q2 included $4.2B in realized gains and $1.5B in unrealized gains, but H1 2025 saw a $5.9B net unrealized loss. Berkshire emphasized that investment fluctuations make net income less reflective of actual business performance.
Insurance float reached $174 billion, up $3B since year-end 2024.
Berkshire urged investors to consult its full 10-Q filing for deeper analysis.