Berkshire's Profits Tripled — But Here's Why That's Misleading

Berkshire Hathaway reported $25.7 billion in profits for Q2 2026, up 119% from a year ago, per its August 8 release. But most of that came from rising stock values on paper — not from selling anything. The real measure of how its businesses performed, operating earnings, grew 18%, Forbes reported. Think of it like your house going up in value: nice on paper, but not cash in hand.