Berkshire posts record operating profit, $35.9 billion of net income
(Reuters) -Berkshire Hathaway on Saturday posted its highest-ever quarterly operating profit, while gains...
(Reuters) -Berkshire Hathaway on Saturday posted its highest-ever quarterly operating profit, while gains from stock holdings helped the conglomerate led by billionaire Warren Buffett swing to a nearly $36 billion overall profit.
Rising interest rates and dividend payouts, as well as a rebound in performance at the Geico car insurer, have been helping Berkshire's insurance businesses generate more money, with profit up 38% from a year earlier.
Gas prices are rising again. The national average of a gallon of regular unleaded gas jumped 13 cents last week to $3.71, an eight-month high, according to AAA motor club.
"The primary cause appears to be the oil price, which has marched nearly $4 higher in the past few days to hover near $80 per barrel," the news release said. "As oil accounts for almost 50 percent of the cost of a gallon of gas, higher oil prices usually mean higher pump prices."
U.S. energy firms this week cut the number of oil rigs...
U.S. energy firms this week cut the number of oil rigs operating for an eighth week in a row, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on August 4.
The combined oil and natural gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by five to 659 in the week of Aug. 4, the lowest since March 2022. That was also the 13th time in the last 14 weeks that drillers cut rigs.
Baker Hughes said that puts the total rig count down 105, or 14%, below this time last year.
U.S. oil rigs fell four to 525 this week, dropping for an eighth week in a row to their lowest since March 2022, while gas rigs held steady at 128.
Oil prices peaked for the cycle in March of last year, and since then have been in a steady downtrend,...
Oil prices peaked for the cycle in March of last year, and since then have been in a steady downtrend, shedding more than 50% of their value from peak to trough. But a recent surge above $80/barrel has WTI crude on the verge of a breakout.
Benchmark U.S. crude oil for September delivery rose $1.27 to $82.82 a barrel Friday. Brent crude for October delivery rose $1.10 to $86.24 a barrel.
Wholesale gasolinefor September delivery rose 2 cents to $2.78 a gallon. September heating oilfell 1 cent to $3.06 a gallon. September natural gas rose 1 cent to $2.58 per 1,000 cubic feet.
S&P, Dow post first weekly loss out of three after U.S. downgrade
US. stocks closed lower Friday, capping off a volatile week that...
US. stocks closed lower Friday, capping off a volatile week that finished with losses after Fitch took away its top AAA ratings for the U.S. and government bond yields embarked on a wild ride. The Dow Jones Industrial AverageDJIA fell about 150 points, or 0.4% on Friday, ending near 35,065, according to preliminary FactSet data. The S&P 500 IndexSPX shed 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite Index closed 0.4% lower. For the week, the Dow posted a 1.1% decline, the S&P 500 a 2.3% drop and the Nasdaq shed 2.9% since Monday, according to FactSet. Investors were focused on July jobs data released on Friday for clues to the health of the economy and potential next moves by the Federal Reserve on rates.