Berkshire's operating earnings jump as cash hoard hits record near $400 billion

Summary

CNBC's Michael Santoli and Becky Quick discuss Berkshire Hathaway's first-quarter 2026 earnings, highlighting an 18% rise in operating earnings to $11.35 billion and a record cash pile of nearly $400 billion. The company sold a net $8.1 billion in stocks and repurchased $235 million of its own shares. Greg Abel, the new CEO, also bought $15 million of Berkshire stock.

• Berkshire Hathaway reported Q1 2026 operating earnings of $11.35 billion, up 18% year-over-year.
• The company's cash hoard reached a record $397 billion.
• Berkshire had net stock sales of $8.1 billion in the quarter.
• The company bought back $235 million of its own stock, the first buyback since Q2 2024.
• CEO Greg Abel purchased $15 million of Berkshire shares on the open market.
• The five largest stock holdings remained unchanged: American Express, Apple, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, and Chevron.
• Directors noted the cash pile is a smaller portion of the business due to strong operating earnings.
• The video is primarily a recap of earnings results without explicit investment recommendations.