Berkshire Hathaway earnings: Takeaways from Warren Buffett's letter
In his annual letter to shareholders released over the weekend, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B, BRK-A) CEO Warren Buffett reported the legendary investment firm's cash holdings to have nearly doubled to $334.2 billion; the "Oracle of Omaha" also noted that "53% of our [Berkshire's] 189 operating businesses reported a decline in earnings." CFRA Research vice president of equity research Cathy Seifert joins Seana Smith and Brad Smith on the Morning Brief to talk more about Berkshire's latest earnings figures, posting total revenues of $371.4 billion and net earnings of $89 billion for full-year 2024. "My sense is he's [Buffett] thinking that the economy in 2025, there's a lot of uncertainty. And I think there are a lot of people who share that view. I mean, the macro picture, the geopolitical picture has a lot of uncertainty, makes it very difficult to plan," Seifert says. "And you've got equity valuations that, quite frankly, I think there are a number of us in this business that are a little surprised at how well they've they've held up, given all the risk largely... stemming out of some of the actions in Washington." The analyst highlights the growth that Berskhire's insurance business could see as it as due to pay out $1.3 billion in claims tied to wildfires this year. Catch up on how Berkshire Hathaway has been adjusting its investment portfolio in recent months, including the firm's five biggest holdings. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Morning Brief here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.
