Finance

Berkshire Cash Hoard Scores Another Record as Earnings Gain

  • Buffett’s cash pile rose to $189 billion amid scarce deals
  • Conglomerate trimmed Apple stake; reveals Paramount losses
Attendees during a shareholders shopping day ahead of the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.Photographer: Dan Brouillette/Bloomberg
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Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s cash pile hit yet another record as billionaire investor Warren Buffett confronted a dearth of big-ticket deals. Operating earnings also rose, buoyed by his collection of insurance businesses.

The firm’s hoard increased to $189 billion at the end of the first quarter, topping the record it set at year-end. The company also reported first-quarter operating earnings of $11.2 billion, versus $8.07 billion for the same period a year earlier.