The Berkshire Archive

1986

Index Book About

Berkshire Hathaway · Year by year

1986

Annual percentage change
Measure 1986
Per-share book value of Berkshire 26.1
Market value of Berkshire 14.2
S&P 500 with dividends included 18.6
Where 1986’s change in book value came from
Where the change came from — points of per-share book value

Assets

  • Cash18.1
  • Fixed income46.4
  • Common stocks77.3
  • Financial products2.8
  • Other net assets17.8

Funded by

  • Net worth100.0
  • Debt3.9
  • Insurance float42.8
  • Deferred tax float14.0
  • Other float1.6
What the company was made of — percent of net worth. Every dollar of net worth carried $1.62 of assets.

Note: figures in parentheses are losses. Source: Berkshire Hathaway annual reports.

What happened

The 1986 letter

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