Core Insights - Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has a market capitalization of $1.1 trillion and operates in diverse sectors including insurance, freight rail, utilities, energy, manufacturing, and retail [1] Performance Overview - Over the past 52 weeks, BRK.B shares have increased by 10.3%, underperforming the S&P 500 Index which rose by 18.5% [2] - Year-to-date, BRK.B shares are up 7.6%, compared to the S&P 500's gain of 15.1% [2] - BRK.B has also underperformed the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF), which returned 13.3% over the same period [3] Financial Results - In Q3 2025, Berkshire Hathaway reported a 33.6% year-over-year increase in operating earnings, reaching $13.49 billion, primarily due to a significant rise in insurance underwriting earnings, which more than tripled to $2.37 billion [4] - Overall net earnings increased by 17.3% year-over-year to $30.8 billion, with a record cash reserve of $381.67 billion and no share buybacks [4] Earnings Expectations - For the fiscal year ending December 2025, analysts project a 6% year-over-year decline in EPS to $20.68 [5] - The company's earnings surprise history is mixed, with two beats and two misses in the last four quarters [5] Analyst Ratings - Among seven analysts covering BRK.B, the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy," consisting of three "Strong Buy" ratings and four "Holds" [5] - This rating configuration has improved slightly from three months ago, when there were only two "Strong Buys" [6] Price Targets - UBS raised its price target for Berkshire Hathaway to $595 while maintaining a "Buy" rating [7] - The mean price target of $537.25 indicates a 10.2% premium to the current price, while the highest target of $595 suggests a potential upside of 22% [7]
Berkshire Hathaway Stock Outlook: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?