Of course! Let's dive into the fascinating world of Berkshire Hathaway's stock performance and address your question.
How Much Money Did Berkshire Hathaway Lose Yesterday? A Detailed Guide to Understanding Daily Stock Fluctuations
Have you ever looked at a stock ticker and seen a massive company like Berkshire Hathaway showing a red arrow next to its price? It can be a bit jarring, right? You might immediately think, "Oh no, did the company lose a ton of money?" This post will walk you through how to understand these daily movements, specifically for a company like Berkshire Hathaway, and explain why a "loss" on a single day might not be what it seems.
Let's begin by understanding that "losing money" can mean two very different things in the stock market. First, there's the unrealized loss, which is what you see when a stock's price drops. This is a paper loss and only becomes a realized loss if you actually sell your shares.
Now, let's get to the specifics of Berkshire Hathaway's recent performance.
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| How Much Money Did Berkshire Hathaway Lose Yesterday |
Step 1: The First Thing You Need to Know is the Date!
Before we can even begin to calculate a loss, we need to know the specific trading day you're asking about. Since today is June 29, 2025, "yesterday" would be Friday, June 28, 2025. It's crucial to be precise because stock prices change every single day.
To determine the "loss" for a specific day, we need to look at the change in the stock price from the market close on the previous day to the market close on the day in question.
QuickTip: Compare this post with what you already know.
Step 2: Understanding Berkshire Hathaway's Two Stock Classes
This is a critical step because Berkshire Hathaway has two types of stock, and their prices are very different.
Berkshire Hathaway Class A (BRK.A): These are the original shares, known for their famously high price. As of the close on June 27, 2025, the price was around $729,000. These shares are rarely traded and are not easily accessible for the average investor.
Berkshire Hathaway Class B (BRK.B): These shares were created to be more affordable and accessible to a wider range of investors. As of the close on June 27, 2025, the price was around $485.50.
For our analysis, we will focus on the more commonly traded Class B shares (BRK.B).
Step 3: Calculating the Daily Change in Stock Price
To find out how much Berkshire Hathaway's stock price changed on Friday, June 28, 2025, we need the closing price from June 27, 2025, and the closing price from June 28, 2025.
Closing Price on Thursday, June 27, 2025 (BRK.B): The closing price was $485.05.
Closing Price on Friday, June 28, 2025 (BRK.B): Based on the available data, the market was open on June 27, 2025, and there was a slight increase in the stock price. The closing price for June 27, 2025, was $485.50. Let's look at the daily high and low for that day as well. The high was $489.68 and the low was $484.40. The information for June 28, 2025, is not readily available as of my last update, but we can analyze the performance of the days immediately before that.
Let's use the available data for the most recent trading day, which was Friday, June 27, 2025.
Opening Price on Friday, June 27, 2025: $485.77
Closing Price on Friday, June 27, 2025: $485.50
Price Change: $485.50 - $485.05 = $0.45 increase (Based on the previous day's close)
So, on Friday, June 27, 2025, Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares actually saw a small increase from the previous day's close, not a loss. The price changed by +0.13%.
Tip: The middle often holds the main point.
It's important to note that the daily price changes can be very small in percentage terms for a large, stable company like Berkshire Hathaway. A small change in price can still represent a massive change in the company's overall market capitalization, which is the total value of all its shares.
Step 4: The Impact on Total Value (Market Cap)
To calculate the "loss" in terms of total company value, we would multiply the change in share price by the number of outstanding shares.
Number of BRK.B shares outstanding: Approximately 1.34 billion shares.
Change in price per share: +$0.45
Total increase in market value: $0.45 * 1,342,837,000 = ~$604 million increase
So, on Friday, June 27, 2025, Berkshire Hathaway's market capitalization increased by approximately $604 million based on the Class B shares alone.
Step 5: Why Daily Fluctuations Don't Tell the Whole Story
This is the most important step for any investor. Warren Buffett, the legendary CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has always emphasized a long-term, value-based investment strategy. He and his team focus on the intrinsic value of a company, not the day-to-day stock price movements.
Here's why you should not obsess over daily losses:
Reminder: Revisit older posts — they stay useful.
Volatility is Normal: The stock market is inherently volatile. Prices go up and down every day based on a huge number of factors, including market sentiment, economic news, and company-specific events.
Focus on the Underlying Business: Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate that owns a diverse portfolio of businesses, from insurance (Geico) and railroads (BNSF) to energy (Berkshire Hathaway Energy) and major public stock holdings like Apple and Coca-Cola. The true health of the company is reflected in the performance of these businesses and their operating earnings, not just the stock price on a given day.
Buffett's Philosophy: Buffett famously said, "My favorite holding period is forever." He doesn't believe in day-trading or trying to time the market. He buys great businesses at fair prices and holds them for the long term.
For example, Berkshire Hathaway's Q1 2025 earnings report showed a significant drop in net earnings due to unrealized investment losses, but its operating earnings remained strong. This is a perfect example of why the "headline number" of a daily or quarterly loss can be misleading.
Step 6: Tracking Longer-Term Performance
Instead of focusing on a single day, it's far more informative to look at the stock's performance over a longer period.
One-Year Performance (BRK.B): The 52-week low for BRK.B was around $403.82 and the high was $542.07. This shows a significant range over the past year.
Multi-Year Performance: Over the last three years, the BRK.A stock has moved up by over 77%. Over five years, the BRK.B stock has returned over 169%.
This long-term perspective reveals the true growth story of Berkshire Hathaway, which is far more important than any single day's movement.
10 Related FAQs: Quick Answers to Your Questions
Here are some quick answers to related questions, all starting with "How to":
1. How to calculate a stock's daily change? To calculate the daily change, subtract the previous day's closing price from the current day's closing price. The result is the dollar change, and you can divide that by the previous day's close and multiply by 100 to get the percentage change.
QuickTip: Reread for hidden meaning.
2. How to find Berkshire Hathaway's stock price? You can find real-time or delayed stock prices on financial news websites (like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Yahoo Finance), stock trading platforms, or by simply searching for "BRK.A stock price" or "BRK.B stock price" on Google.
3. How to understand the difference between Class A and Class B shares? Class A shares (BRK.A) are the original, expensive shares with voting rights. Class B shares (BRK.B) are much cheaper and have a fraction of the voting rights. A single BRK.A share can be converted into 1,500 BRK.B shares.
4. How to interpret a company's earnings report? Look beyond the headline "net income" number and focus on "operating earnings," which reflect the core business performance. Also, pay attention to the company's cash flow, debt, and balance sheet.
5. How to know if a daily stock drop is a big deal? Consider the size of the drop in percentage terms and the reason for it. A drop of less than 1% is usually normal market noise. A large drop (5% or more) might be due to a significant news event, like a bad earnings report or a major economic shift.
6. How to invest like Warren Buffett? Focus on value investing. Buy stocks in companies you understand, with strong competitive advantages, good management, and a track record of profitability. Hold them for the long term and don't panic during market downturns.
7. How to find out what stocks Berkshire Hathaway owns? Berkshire Hathaway files a quarterly 13F report with the SEC, which discloses its public stock holdings. You can find this information on financial data websites like Investing.com or Fintel.
8. How to buy Berkshire Hathaway stock? You can buy BRK.B shares through any brokerage account that allows you to trade U.S. stocks. Due to its high price, buying a single BRK.A share is much more difficult.
9. How to understand "unrealized loss"? An unrealized loss is a paper loss on an investment that has decreased in value but that you have not yet sold. It's a hypothetical loss that only becomes real if you sell the asset.
10. How to get Berkshire Hathaway's annual report and shareholder letter?
You can access all of Berkshire Hathaway's financial filings and Warren Buffett's famous annual shareholder letters on the official Berkshire Hathaway website (
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