Berkshire Puts $152.3 Billion Price Tag on Unpaid Claims as Buybacks Hit Record
Published on 11/11/2026 at 17:11 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Berkshire Hathaway has sized up its outstanding insurance obligations at $152.3 billion, the company disclosed in its quarterly report signed on Saturday. The figure covers estimated liabilities for claims that have been incurred but not yet paid, along with the cost of settling them, as of September 30.
The reserve disclosure landed alongside a softer underwriting picture. Profit from insurance and reinsurance operations fell 43% year over year in the third quarter of 2026 to $1.35 billion. A deal with Tokio Marine helped prop up premium volume in property and casualty reinsurance.
Earnings Pull Back From Year-Earlier Levels
Group-level results also came in lower. Operating profit for the third quarter of 2026 totaled $12.7 billion, down from $13.5 billion in the same period a year earlier — a decline of 5.8%. Net earnings attributable to shareholders reached $22.1 billion, compared with $30.8 billion in the third quarter of 2025.
Cash and the group's short-term positioning remain formidable. Berkshire put its holdings of cash, cash equivalents and short-term U.S. Treasury bills at $377.4 billion at the close of the reporting quarter, according to Reuters.
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A Record Quarter for Share Repurchases
Capital deployment through buybacks ran at an unusually heavy pace. Berkshire spent roughly $9.6 billion on its own stock during the third quarter, a volume Reuters described as a record for a single quarter. Repurchases across the first nine months of the year added up to about $14.4 billion.
The buying did not stop at the quarter's end. Berkshire picked up roughly $2 billion more of its shares during the first four weeks of October, the company said.
Utility Arm Seeks a California Rate Increase
On the regulated side of the business, PacifiCorp — a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy — has filed for a $103.4 million rate increase with the California Public Utilities Commission. The application, which came to light on Friday, would put the adjustment into effect on January 1, 2027.
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Ahead of the open, Berkshire shares were quoted 0.4% lower at €520.90.
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