Berkshire Hathaway reports doubled Q2 earnings and increased capital deployment
Berkshire Hathaway reported a significant increase in second-quarter 2026 earnings, with net income more than doubling to $25.67 billion compared to $12.37 billion in the same period last year. This growth was largely driven by a $16.08 billion increase in investment gains, which included $15.64 billion in unrealized book gains on its equity portfolio.
Operating earnings rose 16% year-over-year to $12.98 billion, supported by strong performance in the railroad, energy, manufacturing, service, and retail sectors. Under the leadership of CEO Greg Abel, who succeeded Warren Buffett in January, the company has begun more active capital deployment. This includes a $10 billion investment in Alphabet and the $6.8 billion acquisition of homebuilder Taylor Morrison Homes.
Additionally, the conglomerate accelerated its share repurchase program, buying back $4.5 billion of its own stock during the quarter. Berkshire's cash holdings decreased to approximately $365 billion from nearly $400 billion at the end of March. Management noted that while results are strong, geopolitical conflicts and economic uncertainties remain risks to future performance.
Entities: Alphabet · Berkshire Hathaway · Greg Abel · Taylor Morrison Homes · Warren Buffett
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 8 SOURCES] The company invested $10 billion in Alphabet. (Berkshire Hathaway)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Berkshire Hathaway's net income for the second quarter was approximately $25.67 billion. (Berkshire Hathaway)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Warren Buffett remains the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. (Warren Buffett)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Cash holdings decreased to approximately $365 billion by the end of June. (Berkshire Hathaway)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Berkshire Hathaway acquired Taylor Morrison Homes for $6.8 billion. (Berkshire Hathaway)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Operating profit rose 16% to $12.98 billion in the second quarter. (Berkshire Hathaway)
- [● 10 SOURCES] Berkshire Hathaway repurchased $4.5 billion of its own stock in the second quarter. (Berkshire Hathaway)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Greg Abel is the current CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. (Greg Abel)