BRK-B · News · 20261021N
Investment Gains Volatility
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC · 2026-10-21 · Importance 20 · Surprise 24 · In source text
Berkshire’s first-half 2026 reported profit included $11.44 billion of after-tax investment gains. Most of those gains were unrealized rather than cash earnings from operations. The investment gains can flatter reported earnings power compared with cash generated by hauling freight.
Key facts
- Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s reported first-half profit included $11.44 billion of after-tax investment gains, mostly unrealized. source
- For three weeks, chip stocks lost 15% while Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway gained 7%. source
- Berkshire's Class B stock (BRK-B) reached a record close Tuesday, its first since May 2, 2025. source
- Berkshire's Class A stock (BRK-A) pushed to an intraday record Wednesday. source
- From Oct. 6 through Tuesday, Berkshire rose on nine of those days while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) fell in 10 of 11 sessions. source
- Berkshire Hathaway Inc. carries a 23x forward P/E and a 13x trailing P/E. source
Impact estimates
| metric | direction | stage | expected | basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| net_income | positive | realized | +16.3% | Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s reported first-half profit included $11.44 billion of after-tax investment gains, mostly unrealized. |