Warren Buffett and Greg Abel walkthrough the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on May 3, 2025.
David A. Grogen | CNBC
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway reported a sharp rebound in operating profit on Saturday, while its cash pile swelled to a new high with no buybacks.
Berkshire’s operating profit generated from the conglomerate’s wholly owned businesses including insurance and railroads jumped 34% year over year to $13.485 billion in the third quarter. The gains were driven by a more than 200% surge in insurance underwriting income, which rose to $2.37 billion.
Buffett once again refrained from repurchasing shares despite a significant pullback in the stock. The company said there were no share buybacks during the first nine months of 2025. Class A and B shares of the conglomerate are up 5% each in 2025, while the S&P 500 is up 16.3%.
Without any buybacks, Berkshire’s cash hoard swelled to a record $381.6 billion, surpassing the previous high of $347.7 billion set in the first quarter of this year.
Berkshire also didn’t find other stocks attractive, net selling equities in the third quarter for a taxable gain of $10.4 billion.
Berkshire Hathaway class A shares year to date
The 95-year-old Buffett in May announced he’s stepping down as CEO at the year-end after six legendary decades. Greg Abel, Berkshire’s vice chairman of non-insurance operations, is set to take over as chief executive, while Buffett will remain chairman of the board. Abel will also start writing annual letters in 2026.
The Omaha-based conglomerate’s shares have tumbled double digits from all-time highs following the announcement. The sell-off partially reflects the so-called Buffett premium, or the extra price investors are willing to pay because of the billionaire’s unmatched record and exceptional capital allocation skills.
Last month, Berkshire announced a deal to buy Occidental Petroleum’s petrochemical unit, OxyChem, for $9.7 billion in cash. The deal marks Berkshire’s largest since 2022, when it paid $11.6 billion for insurer Alleghany.
Overall earnings, which include gains from Berkshire’s investments in other publicly traded companies, rose 17% to $30.8 billion year on year.
