v3.25.2
Common stock
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Equity [Abstract]  
Common stock

Note 18. Common stock

Changes in shares of Berkshire’s common stock are shown in the table below. In addition to our common stock, one million shares of preferred stock are authorized and none are issued.

 

Class A, $5 Par Value
(
1.65 million shares authorized)

 

 

Class B, $0.0033 Par Value
(
3.225 billion shares authorized)

 

 

Issued

 

Treasury

 

Outstanding

 

 

Issued

 

Treasury

 

Outstanding

 

Balance at December 31, 2024

 

623,902

 

 

(76,340

)

 

547,562

 

 

 

1,551,291,352

 

 

(215,299,213

)

 

1,335,992,139

 

Conversions of Class A to
   Class B common stock

 

(16,093

)

 

 

 

(16,093

)

 

 

24,139,500

 

 

 

 

24,139,500

 

Balance at June 30, 2025

 

607,809

 

 

(76,340

)

 

531,469

 

 

 

1,575,430,852

 

 

(215,299,213

)

 

1,360,131,639

 

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 18. Common stock

Each Class A common share is entitled to one vote per share. Class B common stock possesses dividend and distribution rights equal to one-fifteen-hundredth (1/1,500) of such rights of Class A common stock. Each Class B common share possesses voting rights equal to one-ten-thousandth (1/10,000) of the voting rights of a Class A share. Unless otherwise required under Delaware General Corporation Law, Class A and Class B common shares vote as a single class. Each share of Class A common stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into 1,500 shares of Class B common stock. Class B common stock is not convertible into Class A common stock. On an equivalent Class A common stock basis, there were 1,438,223 shares outstanding as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024.

Since we have two classes of common stock, we provide earnings per share data on the Consolidated Statements of Earnings for average equivalent Class A shares outstanding and average equivalent Class B shares outstanding. Average equivalent Class A shares outstanding represents average Class A shares outstanding plus one-fifteen-hundredth (1/1,500) of the average Class B shares outstanding. Average equivalent Class B shares outstanding represents average Class B shares outstanding plus 1,500 times the average Class A shares outstanding.

Berkshire’s common stock repurchase program permits Berkshire to repurchase its shares any time that Warren Buffett, Berkshire’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, believes that the repurchase price is below Berkshire’s intrinsic value, conservatively determined. The program allows share repurchases in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions and does not specify a maximum number of shares to be repurchased. However, repurchases will not be made if they would reduce the value of Berkshire’s consolidated cash, cash equivalents and U.S. Treasury Bill holdings below $30 billion. Berkshire is not obligated to repurchase any specific dollar amount or number of Class A or Class B shares under the program and there is no expiration date to the program. There were no share repurchases during the first six months of 2025.