Business segment data (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of revenues and earnings or loss before income taxes by segment

Our operating businesses include a large and diverse group of insurance, manufacturing, service and retailing businesses. We organize our reportable business segments in a manner that reflects how management views those business activities. Certain businesses are grouped together for segment reporting based upon similar products or product lines, marketing, selling and distribution characteristics, even though those business units are operated under separate local management. The accompanying business segment information for the 2018 periods reflects certain reclassifications to conform to presentations as of December 31, 2018. Specifically, business units that previously were reported as the finance and financial products segment in the 2018 periods were reclassified to manufacturing (Clayton Homes and UTLX), services and retailing (CORT and XTRA leasing) and corporate and other (principally investment income). Revenues and earnings before income taxes by segment for the third quarter and first nine months of 2019 and 2018 were as follows (in millions).

	Third Quarter				First Nine Months
	2019		2018		2019		2018
Revenues of Operating Businesses:
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	8,996	$	8,506	$	26,487	$	24,705
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		3,940		3,777		11,193		11,229
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		2,387		2,050		6,825		5,921
Investment income		1,789		1,446		4,930		4,058
Total insurance		17,112		15,779		49,435		45,913
BNSF		6,021		6,147		17,676		17,649
Berkshire Hathaway Energy		5,720		5,706		15,362		15,268
Manufacturing		15,897		15,686		47,173		46,335
McLane Company		12,604		12,822		37,214		37,438
Service and retailing		7,378		7,230		21,865		21,352
		64,732		63,370		188,725		183,955
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount:
Corporate, eliminations and other		240		80		523		168
	$	64,972	$	63,450	$	189,248	$	184,123

	Third Quarter						First Nine Months
	2019			2018			2019			2018
Earnings Before Income Taxes of Operating Businesses:
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	376		$	627		$	1,539		$	1,977
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		52			(163	)		(305	)		(124	)
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		153			135			290			468
Investment income		1,782			1,455			4,916			4,052
Total insurance		2,363			2,054			6,440			6,373
BNSF		1,941			1,879			5,379			5,047
Berkshire Hathaway Energy		1,061			1,165			2,194			2,238
Manufacturing		2,484			2,369			7,205			7,105
McLane Company		50			44			220			171
Service and retailing		639			701			2,005			2,037
		8,538			8,212			23,443			22,971
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount:
Investment and derivative gains (losses)		10,926			14,706			41,296			13,053
Interest expense, not allocated to segments		(96	)		(115	)		(312	)		(350	)
Equity method investments		644			316			936			1,044
Corporate, eliminations and other		477			28			532			4
	$	20,489		$	23,147		$	65,895		$	36,722