Berkshire Hathaway hits record cash, avoids Bitcoin

Berkshire Hathaway's Q1 2026: record $397.4B cash, operating earnings up 18%, net income doubled. The company stayed cautious, avoiding Bitcoin and crypto investments.

Berkshire Hathaway reported a record cash reserve of $397.4 billion at the end of Q1 2026, up from $373 billion at the end of 2025. Operating earnings rose nearly 18% year-over-year to $11.35 billion, though this was slightly below analyst expectations. Net income more than doubled to $10.1 billion compared to the same period last year. The insurance underwriting segment was a key driver, with profits rising to $1.7 billion, despite a 34% drop in earnings at Geico. Berkshire remained a net seller of equities, selling $24.1 billion in stock and purchasing $16 billion. Under new leadership, the company continued its cautious capital allocation strategy and maintained its long-standing skepticism toward Bitcoin and digital assets, reporting no investments in cryptocurrencies or related products.