Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) earnings Q1 2021

Berkshire Hathaway‘s operating earnings rebounded as the conglomerate’s businesses recovered from the pandemic hit. Chairman Warren Buffett kept buying back Berkshire shares aggressively in the first quarter, but at a slightly slower pace.

Berkshire reported operating income of $7.018 billion in the first quarter, up 20% from $5.871 billion in the same period a year ago. The conglomerate’s hodge-podge of businesses including insurance, transportation, utility, retail and manufacturing saw signs of a recovery amid the economy reopening.

During the first quarter, the company bought back $6.6 billion of Berkshire shares, after a record $24.7 billion in…