(18)

Fair value measurements

Our financial assets and liabilities are summarized below as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 with fair values shown according to the fair value hierarchy (in millions). The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, U.S. Treasury Bills, receivables and accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities are considered to be reasonable estimates of their fair values.


	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Quoted Prices (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
December 31, 2016
Investments in fixed maturity securities:
U.S. Treasury, U.S. government corporations and agencies	$	4,527	$	4,527	$	3,099	$	1,428	$	—
States, municipalities and political subdivisions		1,216		1,216		—		1,216		—
Foreign governments		9,001		9,001		7,237		1,764		—
Corporate bonds		7,604		7,604		—		7,540		64
Mortgage-backed securities		1,117		1,117		—		1,117		—
Investments in equity securities		122,032		122,032		122,031		—		1
Investment in Kraft Heinz common stock		15,345		28,418		28,418		—		—
Other investments		17,256		17,256		—		—		17,256
Loans and finance receivables		13,300		13,717		—		13		13,704
Derivative contract assets ⁽¹⁾		142		142		5		43		94
Derivative contract liabilities:
Railroad, utilities and energy ⁽¹⁾		145		145		3		114		28
Equity index put options		2,890		2,890		—		—		2,890
Notes payable and other borrowings:
Insurance and other		27,175		27,712		—		27,712		—
Railroad, utilities and energy		59,085		65,774		—		65,774		—
Finance and financial products		15,384		15,825		—		15,469		356
December 31, 2015
Investments in fixed maturity securities:
U.S. Treasury, U.S. government corporations and agencies	$	3,427	$	3,427	$	2,485	$	942	$	—
States, municipalities and political subdivisions		1,764		1,764		—		1,764		—
Foreign governments		11,468		11,468		9,188		2,280		—
Corporate bonds		7,926		7,926		—		7,826		100
Mortgage-backed securities		1,442		1,442		—		1,442		—
Investments in equity securities		112,137		112,137		112,101		35		1
Investment in Kraft Heinz common stock		15,714		23,679		23,679		—		—
Investment in Kraft Heinz Preferred Stock		7,710		8,363		—		—		8,363
Other investments		21,402		21,402		—		—		21,402
Loans and finance receivables		12,772		13,112		—		16		13,096
Derivative contract assets ⁽¹⁾		103		103		—		5		98
Derivative contract liabilities:
Railroad, utilities and energy ⁽¹⁾		237		237		13		177		47
Finance and financial products:
Equity index put options		3,552		3,552		—		—		3,552
Credit default		284		284		—		—		284
Notes payable and other borrowings:
Insurance and other		14,599		14,773		—		14,773		—
Railroad, utilities and energy		57,739		62,471		—		62,471		—
Finance and financial products		11,951		12,363		—		11,887		476

⁽¹⁾

Assets are included in other assets and liabilities are included in accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities.

The fair values of substantially all of our financial instruments were measured using market or income approaches. Considerable judgment may be required in interpreting market data used to develop the estimates of fair value. Accordingly, the fair values presented are not necessarily indicative of the amounts that could be realized in an actual current market exchange. The use of alternative market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a material effect on the estimated fair value. The hierarchy for measuring fair value consists of Levels 1 through 3, which are described below.

Level 1—Inputs represent unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities exchanged in active markets.

Level 2—Inputs include directly or indirectly observable inputs (other than Level 1 inputs) such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities exchanged in active or inactive markets; quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities exchanged in inactive markets; other inputs that may be considered in fair value determinations of the assets or liabilities, such as interest rates and yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates; and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means. Pricing evaluations generally reflect discounted expected future cash flows, which incorporate yield curves for instruments with similar characteristics, such as credit ratings, estimated durations and yields for other instruments of the issuer or entities in the same industry sector.

Level 3—Inputs include unobservable inputs used in the measurement of assets and liabilities. Management is required to use its own assumptions regarding unobservable inputs because there is little, if any, market activity in the assets or liabilities and it may be unable to corroborate the related observable inputs. Unobservable inputs require management to make certain projections and assumptions about the information that would be used by market participants in valuing assets or liabilities.

Reconciliations of assets and liabilities measured and carried at fair value on a recurring basis with the use of significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for each of the three years ending December 31, 2016 follow (in millions).


	Investments in fixed maturity securities			Investments in equity securities and other investments			Net derivative contract liabilities
Balance December 31, 2013	$	372		$	17,958		$	(5,255	)
Gains (losses) included in:
Earnings		—			—			524
Other comprehensive income		13			1,373			—
Regulatory assets and liabilities		—			—			5
Acquisitions		—			3,000			1
Dispositions and settlements		(2	)		—			1
Transfers into/out of Level 3		(375	)		(335	)		(35	)

Balance December 31, 2014		8			21,996			(4,759	)
Gains (losses) included in:
Earnings		—			—			1,080
Other comprehensive income		(2	)		(593	)		(7	)
Regulatory assets and liabilities		—			—			(19	)
Acquisitions		101			—			—
Dispositions and settlements		(7	)		—			(83	)
Transfers into/out of Level 3		—			—			3

Balance December 31, 2015		100			21,403			(3,785	)
Gains (losses) included in:
Earnings		—			3,593			880
Other comprehensive income		(4	)		876			(2	)
Regulatory assets and liabilities		—			—			(11	)
Acquisitions		10			—			—
Dispositions and settlements		(41	)		(8,615	)		(101	)
Transfers into/out of Level 3		(1	)		—			195

Balance December 31, 2016	$	64		$	17,257		$	(2,824	)

Gains and losses included in earnings are included as components of investment gains/losses, derivative gains/losses and other revenues, as appropriate and are primarily related to changes in the values of derivative contracts and settlement transactions. Gains and losses included in other comprehensive income are primarily the net change in unrealized appreciation of investments and the reclassification of investment appreciation in net earnings, as appropriate in our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. In 2016, our Wrigley preferred stock investment was disposed and our Dow preferred stock investment was converted into Dow common stock.

Quantitative information as of December 31, 2016, with respect to assets and liabilities measured and carried at fair value on a recurring basis with the use of significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) follows (in millions).

Fair
Value

Principal
Valuation Techniques

Unobservable Inputs

Weighted
Average

Other investments:

Preferred stocks

7,659

Discounted cash flow

Expected duration

7 years

Discount for transferability
restrictions and subordination

145 basis points

Common stock warrants

9,597

Warrant pricing model

Discount for transferability
and hedging restrictions

Derivative liabilities:

Equity index put options

2,890

Option pricing model

Volatility

20%

Our other investments currently include preferred stocks and common stock warrants that we acquired in private placement transactions. These investments are subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and may contain provisions that prevent us from economically hedging our investments. In applying discounted estimated cash flow techniques in valuing the preferred stocks, we made assumptions regarding the expected durations of the investments, as the issuers may have redemption rights. We also made estimates regarding the impact of subordination, as the preferred stocks have a lower priority in liquidation than debt instruments of the issuers. In valuing the common stock warrants, we used a warrant valuation model. While most of the inputs to the model are observable, we are subject to the aforementioned contractual restrictions and we have applied discounts with respect to such restrictions. Increases or decreases to these inputs would result in decreases or increases to the fair values of the investments.

Our equity index put option contracts are illiquid and contain contract terms that are not standard in derivatives markets. For example, we are not required to post collateral under most of our contracts and certain of the contracts have relatively long durations. For these and other reasons, we classified these contracts as Level 3. The methods we use to value these contracts are those that we believe market participants would use in determining exchange prices with respect to our contracts.

We value equity index put option contracts based on the Black-Scholes option valuation model. Inputs to this model include index price, contract duration and dividend and interest rate inputs (including a Berkshire non-performance input) which are observable. However, we believe that the valuation of long-duration options using any model is inherently subjective and, given the lack of observable transactions and prices, acceptable values may be subject to wide ranges. Volatility inputs represent our expectations, which consider the remaining duration of each contract and assume that the contracts will remain outstanding until the expiration dates. Increases or decreases in the volatility inputs will produce increases or decreases in the fair values of the liabilities.