It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Berkshire Hathaway B (BRK.B). Shares have added about 0.3% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Berkshire Hathaway B due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
Berkshire Hathaway Q1 Earnings & Revenues Increase Year Over Year
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. delivered first-quarter 2026 operating earnings of $11.3 billion, which increased 17.7% year over year. The increase was due to higher earnings in Insurance-underwriting, BNSF, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company, Manufacturing, service and retailing, and Other.
Behind the Headlines
Revenues rose 4.4% year over year to $93.6 billion due to an increase in revenues in Insurance and Other and Railroad, Utilities, and Energy.
Costs and expenses increased 2.1% year over year to $80 billion, largely driven by a rise in costs and expenses in Insurance and Other and Railroad, Utilities and Energy.
Segment Performance
Berkshire’s Insurance and Other segment revenues increased 4.3% year over year to $81 billion in the reported quarter due to higher Insurance premiums earned, Sales and service revenues, and Leasing revenues. Insurance underwriting produced operating earnings of $1.7 billion, which increased 30.8% year over year.
Railroad operating revenues rose 5% year over year to $5.9 billion, primarily due to increases in car/unit volume of 2.2% and average revenue per car/unit of 2.8%, resulting from business mix, core pricing gains and higher fuel surcharge revenues from higher fuel prices. Pre-tax earnings increased 13.5% in the first quarter of 2026 to $1.8 billion. Operating earnings from the Railroad business increased 12.5% year over year to $2 billion.
Total revenues at Manufacturing, Service and Retailing increased 6.5% year over year to $54.8 billion. Pre-tax earnings increased 5.7% year over year to $4.2 billion. In the first quarter of 2026, after-tax earnings from manufacturing, service and retailing businesses increased 4.5% year over year.
Results among the numerous operations in the quarter were mixed, with overall earnings increases in the manufacturing and service businesses and lower earnings from the retailing businesses.
Financial Position
As of March 31, 2026, consolidated shareholders’ equity was $729.4 billion, up 1.4% from the level as of Dec. 31, 2025. At the end of the quarter, cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash were $58.8 billion, up 37.2% year over year.
Berkshire exited the first quarter of 2026 with a float of about $176.9 billion, which grew $500 million from Dec. 31, 2025. Cash flow from operating activities totaled $10.4 billion in the reported quarter, down 4.3% from the year-ago period.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
Analysts were quiet during the last two month period as none of them issued any earnings estimate revisions.
VGM Scores
Currently, Berkshire Hathaway B has a poor Growth Score of F, however its Momentum Score is doing a bit better with a D. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for value investors.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Berkshire Hathaway B has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.
Performance of an Industry Player
Berkshire Hathaway B belongs to the Zacks Insurance - Property and Casualty industry. Another stock from the same industry, Selective Insurance (SIGI), has gained 5.4% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended March 2026.
Selective Insurance reported revenues of $1.37 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +6.4%. EPS of $1.69 for the same period compares with $1.76 a year ago.
For the current quarter, Selective Insurance is expected to post earnings of $1.69 per share, indicating a change of +29% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +1.7% over the last 30 days.
Selective Insurance has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of B.
Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
Quantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.
While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.
Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power .
Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.
See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B): Free Stock Analysis Report
Selective Insurance Group, Inc. (SIGI): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).