Berkshire Hathaway reported a 16 percent increase in operating earnings for the second quarter of 2026, reaching 12.98 billion dollars compared to 11.16 billion during the same period last year. Gains across manufacturing, service, and energy business segments helped offset softer performance within the insurance unit.
CEO Greg Abel is now beginning to move capital from the company's substantial cash reserves. During the second quarter, Berkshire became a net buyer of equities for the first time after 14 consecutive quarters of selling, with net purchases totaling nearly 20 billion dollars. This shift reflects a move to put the firm's capital to work.
In addition to new stock acquisitions, the company stepped up its repurchase activity. Berkshire bought back 4.5 billion dollars of its own shares during the quarter, a significant increase from the 235 million dollars spent on buybacks during the first three months of the year. The firm's total cash position remains high at 365.5 billion dollars, down from 397.4 billion at the end of March.
Recent regulatory filings confirm that Alphabet is now among the five largest equity holdings in the Berkshire portfolio. This investment, valued at 10 billion dollars, is intended to support artificial intelligence development. Warren Buffett remains involved in major capital allocation decisions as chairman, having consulted with Abel before initiating the position in the Google parent company.