Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Results of Operations
Net earnings attributable to Berkshire are disaggregated in the table that follows. Amounts are after deductingincome taxes and exclude earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests. Amounts are in millions.
SecondThirdQuarter
FirstSixNineMonths2009
2008
2009
2008
rance – underwriting $83363
rance – investment income1,159976
ufacturing, service and retailing239336
nce and financial products8292
stment and derivative gains/losses 1,515183
)arnings attributable to Berkshire $3,295238
4,877 Berkshire’s operating businesses are managed on an unusually decentralized basis. There are essentially nocentralized or integrated business functions (such as sales, marketing, purchasing, legal or human resources) and there isminimal involvement by Berkshire’s corporate headquarters in the day-to-day business activities of the operatingbusinesses. Berkshire’s corporate office management participates in and is ultimately responsible for significant capitalallocation decisions, investment activities and the selection of the Chief Executive to head each of the operatingbusinesses. The business segment data (Note 17 to the CondensedConsolidated Financial Statements) should be read inconjunction with this discussion.
The declines in global economic activity over the last half of 2008(and in the fourth quarter in particular)continued through the firsthalfnine monthsof 2009. Berkshire’s operating results in 2009have beenweresignificantly
impacted by those declines. Earnings in 2009 of most of Berkshire’s diverse group of manufacturing, service andretailing businesses declined, in some cases severely, compared to the prior year. The effects from thecurrent worldwideeconomic recession resulted in lower sales volume, revenues and profit margins as consumers have significantly curtailedspending, particularly for discretionary items. Berkshire’s two largest business segments, insurance and utilities, remainstrong andoperating resultshave not been negatively impactedin any significant wayby the recession.
Investment and derivative gains were $1.5 billion,183 millionin thesecondthirdquarter of 2009, while in the first
sixninemonths there were losses of $1.7 billion.541 million.The gains and losses primarily derived from credit default
contracts, dispositions of certain equity securities,non-
cashother-than-temporary impairment charges with respect tocertain equity securities and changes in estimated fair values of long duration equity index put option contracts. Changesin the equity and credit markets from period to periodcan andhave causedand will likely continue to causesignificant
volatility in periodic earnings.
In response to the crises in the financial and capital markets and global recession, the U.S. and other governmentsaround the world are taking measures to stabilize financial institutions, regulate markets (including over-the-counterderivatives markets) and stimulate economic activity. While managementhopesbelievessuch actions willprovebe
successful, thepotentialultimateimpact on Berkshire is not clear at this time.It is expected that the current economic
conditions will persist at least through 2009 before meaningful improvements become evident.Berkshire’s operatingcompanies have taken and will continue to take cost reduction actionsas necessaryto manage through the currenteconomic situation. Management believes that the economic franchises of Berkshire’s business operations remain intactand that operating results will ultimatelyreturn to more normal historical levelsimprove, although it cannot predict thetiming of aan economicrecoverythat will be required to have this happen.
Insurance —Underwriting
Berkshire’s management views insurance businesses as possessing two distinct operations – underwriting andinvesting. Underwriting decisions are the responsibility of the unit managers; investing, with limited exception, is theresponsibility of Berkshire’s Chairman and CEO, Warren E. Buffett. Accordingly, Berkshire evaluates performance of underwriting operations without any allocation of investment income.
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