Berkshire Hathaway announces billions in losses

According to the Omaha-based conglomerate, its net loss attributable to Berkshire shareholders amounted to $43.8 billion in the quarter ended June 30, while the group’s attributable net loss in the first six months of the year totalled $38.3 billion.

The losses represent a major blow compared to last year’s net earnings attributable to shareholders of $28.1 billion and $39.8 billion, respectively, for Q2 and H1.

Operating earnings, meanwhile, grew to $9.3 billion in the quarter and to $16.3 billion in the six-month span. Broken down into businesses, here’s how Berkshire’s operating results stacked up:

“Berkshire presents its results in the way it believes will be most meaningful and useful, as well as most transparent, to the investing public and others who use Berkshire’s financial information,” explained the company. “That presentation includes the use of certain non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) financial measures.

“In addition to the GAAP presentations of net earnings, Berkshire shows operating earnings defined as net earnings exclusive of investment and derivative gains/losses and impairments of goodwill and intangible assets. Although the investment of insurance and reinsurance premiums to generate investment income and investment gains or losses is an integral part of Berkshire’s operations, the generation of investment gains or losses is independent of the insurance underwriting process.”

The group posted investment and derivative losses worth $53 billion and $54.6 billion, respectively, in the second quarter and first half of the year. In the previous year, the corresponding figures were both gains. The results were attributed to changes in the unrealized gains that Berkshire said existed in its equity security investment holdings.