Berkshire Hathaway repurchased about $9.6 billion of its own stock in the third quarter, more than double the $4.5 billion bought back in the second quarter and a quarterly record, taking buybacks for 2026 to about $14.4 billion, CNBC reported. Operating earnings fell 5.8 percent year over year to $12.705 billion, as insurance underwriting earnings tumbled 43 percent to $1.352 billion and insurance investment income declined 14 percent to $2.734 billion, while the railroad, energy and manufacturing businesses all grew.
Overall earnings fell 28 percent to $22.112 billion as investment gains dropped nearly 50 percent to $9.407 billion, and the cash pile grew 3 percent in the quarter to $377.435 billion. Class A shares have risen more than 12 percent over the past month against a 5.5 percent fall in the S&P 500, and the five largest holdings were unchanged: Alphabet, American Express, Apple, Bank of America and Coca-Cola.