Berkshire Hathaway Earnings Preview: Wall Street Eyes Cash Pile, Buyback Clues

Published 01/08/2025, 17:41
Updated 01/08/2025, 18:04

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKa)’s Q2 2025 earnings report, scheduled for release on August 2, 2025, will be a key indicator of the company’s ability to handle macroeconomic challenges while maintaining Greg Abel’s disciplined approach to capital allocation. With Abel expected to take on the CEO role by year-end, this transition signifies a significant shift in Berkshire’s strategic direction from Warren Buffett’s long-standing leadership.

Key Highlights

  • Berkshire has shifted to a more hands-on, disciplined approach to capital deployment, moving away from Buffett’s hands-off style under Abel’s leadership. By 2024, Berkshire’s cash reserves soared to $334.2 billion—a near double from 2023—fueling strategic reallocations into sectors like energy and infrastructure. Notably, Berkshire’s increased stake in Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY) underscores Abel’s focus on recession-resistant energy assets aligned with his operational expertise.
  • Investors will watch closely to see if Berkshire resumes share repurchases in Q2 after sitting out since May 2024. The stock has dropped over 14% from its May 2025 peak.
  • Berkshire Hathaway’s insurance operations form the backbone of its business, accounting for approximately 25% of total revenue and fueling long-term growth. Its extensive market exposure, disciplined pricing strategy, and strong underwriting performance help the segment stay resilient through market downturns.
  • Wall Street expects little to no buybacks in Q2. UBS analyst Brian Meredith predicts none in 2025 or 2026, citing the stock’s premium to his intrinsic value estimate. A restart would likely boost investor confidence, signaling Warren Buffett sees the stock as undervalued.
  • Investors are eyeing whether Berkshire’s cash pile kept climbing after hitting a record $328 billion at the end of Q1, adjusted for Treasury bills and $5 billion in energy and rail. This cash level, Buffett’s preferred measure, will be a key focus.

Berkshire Hathaway’s Fair Value

Source: InvestingPro

BRK.B Q2 2025 earnings August 02, 2025Analyst Ratings and Earnings Expectation

Technical Analysis Perspective

  • BRK.B has been in an upward trend, consistently following a rising support line since October 2022.
  • The support for the rising trendline remains firm between 458 and 450.50 this week.
  • The March-April 2025 double top pattern between 539 and 542 triggered the current decline.
  • The stock may initially trade sideways between 486 and 470, followed by a break below 470 to target the 458-450.50 support zone.
  • Ideally, BRK.B should decline to 458-450.50 to reaffirm the ongoing uptrend.
  • A decisive move above 486 would negate the downside view and open the path for a rise to 539-542, assuming the market supports a buyback.

Weekly Candlestick ChartBerkshire Hathaway’s Weekly Candlestick Chart

BRK.B Seasonality ChartBerkshire Hathaway’s Seasonality Chart

Since 2006, BRK.B has closed August with a 2.5% gain and September with a 0.3% gain in 68% and 53% of the years, respectively.

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