News: Berkshire Hathaway Q4 Earnings Fall Nearly 30% in Warren Buffett's Final Quarter as CEO
Berkshire Hathaway reported a steep decline in fourth-quarter operating earnings on Saturday, February 28, 2026, capping Warren Buffett's legendary 60-year tenure as CEO with a challenging final quarter. Operating earnings totaled $10.2 billion for the three months ending December 2025, down more than 29% from $14.56 billion in the year-earlier period, driven primarily by lower insurance income and investment writedowns. The results mark the first earnings release under new CEO Greg Abel, who succeeded Buffett when the 95-year-old Oracle of Omaha retired on December 31, 2025. Abel's inaugural shareholder letter — replacing the annual missive that Buffett had penned for decades and that had become required reading on Wall Street — was closely watched by investors for signals about the direction of the $1.09 trillion conglomerate. Despite the earnings decline, Berkshire's stock rose modestly on Friday, with BRK-B shares closing at $505.22, up 0.51% on the day. The shares trade roughly 7% below their 52-week high of $542.07, reflecting cautious investor sentiment heading into the post-Buffett era. The conglomerate's massive $381.7 billion cash and short-term investment hoard continues to provide an enormous buffer and optionality for the new management team.