Berkshire Hathaway's Q2 operating earnings decreased by 4% according to Warren Buffett's report
In a recent financial update, Berkshire Hathaway, the multinational conglomerate headed by Warren Buffett, revealed its Q2 2025 earnings. The results showed a mixed performance, with some areas showing growth and others experiencing decline.
Berkshire's operating earnings for Q2 2025 decreased by 3.8% to $11.2 billion, but after adjusting for a foreign currency loss of $877 million in Q2 2025 (compared to a $446 million gain in Q2 2024), operating earnings actually rose by 7.9% year-over-year.
However, net earnings attributable to Berkshire shareholders dropped sharply from $30.3 billion in Q2 2024 to $12.4 billion in Q2 2025, largely due to significantly lower investment gains.
The stock market responded positively to the news, with Berkshire's Class B shares (BRK.B) closing at $472.84 on Friday, up 4.82% since the start of 2025.
Regarding CEO changes, Warren Buffett remains chairman and CEO as of this report, with no indication of a change in this position during Q2 2025.
Tariff impacts were not explicitly mentioned in the Q2 2025 earnings release or related documents, suggesting no notable effects or that it was not a significant focus in this quarter’s report.
As for subsidiaries, Berkshire’s operating earnings are generally driven by wholly owned businesses, including large subsidiaries like Kraft Heinz. The overall operating earnings improvement (excluding currency impacts) signals solid subsidiary performance, but more granular data for Kraft Heinz would be needed for a precise evaluation.
For the first six months of the year, Berkshire reported $20.8 billion in operating earnings, an 8.8% decrease from the same time last year. Net income for the first half of the year fell to roughly $23.4 billion, down 44% from the same period last year.
These results highlight the challenges and opportunities that Berkshire Hathaway faces in the current economic climate. The company continues to navigate through international trade policies and tariffs, which have produced delays in orders and shipments for some of its subsidiaries.
[1] Berkshire Hathaway's Q2 2025 Earnings Release [2] Berkshire Hathaway's Q2 2025 Supplemental Data [3] Berkshire Hathaway's Q2 2025 Letter to Shareholders
This story has been updated with additional content.
Despite the decrease in Berkshire Hathaway's operating earnings for Q2 2025, the sector's overall performance shows growth, indicating a positive trend in the finance, business, and industry spheres. The stock market responded favorably to theQ2 2025 Earnings Release, Supplemental Data, and Letter to Shareholders, reflecting investors' confidence in the company's resilience.
