XML 69 R7.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:    
Net earnings $ 5,233us-gaap_ProfitLoss $ 4,773us-gaap_ProfitLoss
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to operating cash flows:    
Investment gains/losses (97)us-gaap_GainLossOnInvestments (1,131)us-gaap_GainLossOnInvestments
Depreciation and amortization 1,871us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization 1,772us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
Other (66)us-gaap_OtherNoncashIncomeExpense (236)us-gaap_OtherNoncashIncomeExpense
Changes in operating assets and liabilities before business acquisitions:    
Losses and loss adjustment expenses (114)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInLossAndLossAdjustmentExpenseReserve 474us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInLossAndLossAdjustmentExpenseReserve
Deferred charges reinsurance assumed 139brka_IncreaseDecreaseInDeferredChargesReinsuranceAssumed (278)brka_IncreaseDecreaseInDeferredChargesReinsuranceAssumed
Unearned premiums 1,667us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInUnearnedPremiums 1,497us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInUnearnedPremiums
Receivables and originated loans (2,064)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInReceivables (2,415)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInReceivables
Derivative contract assets and liabilities (1,307)brka_IncreaseDecreaseInDerivativeContractAssetsAndLiabilities (236)brka_IncreaseDecreaseInDerivativeContractAssetsAndLiabilities
Income taxes 1,612us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInIncomeTaxes 1,141us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInIncomeTaxes
Other (911)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInOtherOperatingCapitalNet (433)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInOtherOperatingCapitalNet
Net cash flows from operating activities 5,963us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivitiesContinuingOperations 4,928us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivitiesContinuingOperations
Cash flows from investing activities:    
Purchases of fixed maturity securities (2,164)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireAvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebt (1,996)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireAvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebt
Purchases of equity securities (1,624)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireAvailableForSaleSecuritiesEquity (1,202)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireAvailableForSaleSecuritiesEquity
Sales of fixed maturity securities 227us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfAvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebt 88us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfAvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebt
Redemptions and maturities of fixed maturity securities 1,662brka_ProceedsFromRedemptionsAndMaturitiesOfMarketableSecuritiesFixedMaturities 1,989brka_ProceedsFromRedemptionsAndMaturitiesOfMarketableSecuritiesFixedMaturities
Sales and redemptions of equity securities 1,112brka_ProceedsFromSalesAndRedemptionsOfAvailableForSaleSecuritiesEquitySecurities 103brka_ProceedsFromSalesAndRedemptionsOfAvailableForSaleSecuritiesEquitySecurities
Purchases of loans and finance receivables (39)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireLoansReceivable (58)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireLoansReceivable
Collections of loans and finance receivables 129us-gaap_ProceedsFromCollectionOfLoansReceivable 501us-gaap_ProceedsFromCollectionOfLoansReceivable
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired (3,995)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired (700)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired
Purchases of property, plant and equipment (3,447)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment (2,794)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Other 7us-gaap_PaymentsForProceedsFromOtherInvestingActivities 214us-gaap_PaymentsForProceedsFromOtherInvestingActivities
Net cash flows from investing activities (8,132)us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInInvestingActivitiesContinuingOperations (3,855)us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInInvestingActivitiesContinuingOperations
Cash flows from financing activities:    
Changes in short term borrowings, net 136us-gaap_ProceedsFromRepaymentsOfShortTermDebt (4)us-gaap_ProceedsFromRepaymentsOfShortTermDebt
Acquisitions of noncontrolling interests (43)us-gaap_PaymentsToMinorityShareholders (1,286)us-gaap_PaymentsToMinorityShareholders
Other financing activities (67)us-gaap_ProceedsFromPaymentsForOtherFinancingActivities 14us-gaap_ProceedsFromPaymentsForOtherFinancingActivities
Net cash flows from financing activities 2,818us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInFinancingActivitiesContinuingOperations (311)us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInFinancingActivitiesContinuingOperations
Effects of foreign currency exchange rate changes (207)us-gaap_EffectOfExchangeRateOnCashAndCashEquivalents  
Increase in cash and cash equivalents 442us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsPeriodIncreaseDecrease 762us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsPeriodIncreaseDecrease
Cash and cash equivalents:    
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 63,269us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 48,186us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
Cash and cash equivalents at end of first quarter 63,711us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 48,948us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
Insurance and Other [Member]    
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to operating cash flows:    
Investment gains/losses (96)us-gaap_GainLossOnInvestments
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_InsuranceAndOtherMember
(1,059)us-gaap_GainLossOnInvestments
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_InsuranceAndOtherMember
Cash flows from financing activities:    
Proceeds from borrowings 3,241us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_InsuranceAndOtherMember
10us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_InsuranceAndOtherMember
Repayments of borrowings (1,722)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_InsuranceAndOtherMember
(27)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_InsuranceAndOtherMember
Cash and cash equivalents:    
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 57,974us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_InsuranceAndOtherMember
42,433us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_InsuranceAndOtherMember
Cash and cash equivalents at end of first quarter 58,198us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_InsuranceAndOtherMember
42,193us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_InsuranceAndOtherMember
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member]    
Cash flows from financing activities:    
Proceeds from borrowings 1,984us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_RailroadUtilitiesAndEnergyMember
1,925us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_RailroadUtilitiesAndEnergyMember
Repayments of borrowings (636)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_RailroadUtilitiesAndEnergyMember
(838)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_RailroadUtilitiesAndEnergyMember
Cash and cash equivalents:    
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 3,001us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_RailroadUtilitiesAndEnergyMember
3,400us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_RailroadUtilitiesAndEnergyMember
Cash and cash equivalents at end of first quarter 3,522us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_RailroadUtilitiesAndEnergyMember
3,847us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_RailroadUtilitiesAndEnergyMember
Finance and Financial Products [Member]    
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to operating cash flows:    
Investment gains/losses (1)us-gaap_GainLossOnInvestments
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_FinanceAndFinancialProductsMember
(72)us-gaap_GainLossOnInvestments
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_FinanceAndFinancialProductsMember
Cash flows from financing activities:    
Proceeds from borrowings 998us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_FinanceAndFinancialProductsMember
749us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_FinanceAndFinancialProductsMember
Repayments of borrowings (1,073)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_FinanceAndFinancialProductsMember
(854)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_FinanceAndFinancialProductsMember
Cash and cash equivalents:    
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 2,294us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_FinanceAndFinancialProductsMember
2,353us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_FinanceAndFinancialProductsMember
Cash and cash equivalents at end of first quarter $ 1,991us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_FinanceAndFinancialProductsMember
$ 2,908us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ brka_FinancialSegmentsAxis
= brka_FinanceAndFinancialProductsMember