Berkshire Reports Q4 Operating Earnings of $10.2 Billion
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 02 2026
0mins
Should l Buy AAPL?
Catch up on the weekend's top five stories with this list compiled by The Fly: 1) The U.S. and Israel said they launched an attack on Iran, which retaliated with strikes on Israel and targeted U.S. bases. President Trump, in a video posted on social media, confirmed "major combat operations" against the regime, and urged Iranians to "take over your government" as the strikes continued. Trump said the U.S. was "undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests." The U.S. and Israel plan to carry out several days of intensive attacks, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they had launched missile and drone attacks toward Israel. 2) Berkshire (BRK.A) reports Q4 operating earnings $10.2B vs. $14.53B last year. Berkshire CEO Gregory Abel said in the company's annual letter, "Berkshire delivered operating earnings of $44.5 billion in 2025, below $47.4 billion in 2024 and above the $37.5 billion we have averaged over the past five years, a result that underscored the durability of our operating businesses, while also reflecting the fact that we have opportunities for further improvement" 3) Australia's internet regulator may push for search engines and app stores to block AI services that fail to verify users ages, Reuters reports. App store and search engine operators in the space include Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOGL), and Samsung (SSNLF). 4) Netflix (NFLX) Co-Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos told Bloomberg the company's decision to drop out of the bidding from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) had been made earlier than announced and was based on various bidding scenarios the company worked out in advance, Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg reports. "We knew right away, when we got the notice on Thursday that they had a superior offer and the details of that deal," Sarandos said, speaking of rival bidder Paramount Skydance (PSKY). "We knew exactly what we were going to do." 5) DBV Technologies (DBVT) announced that the company shared additional positive data from the successful Phase 3 Vitesse clinical trial as an oral presentation at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, AAAAI, 2026 Annual Meeting, in Philadelphia, PA. The Vitesse study met its primary endpoint whereby Viaskin Peanut demonstrated a statistically significant treatment effect, with 46.6% of children in the Viaskin Peanut arm meeting the treatment responder criteria at 12 months, as compared to 14.8% of children in the placebo arm, exceeding the lower bound prespecified threshold of 15%.
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Analyst Views on AAPL
Wall Street analysts forecast AAPL stock price to rise
27 Analyst Rating
17 Buy
9 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 259.880
Low
239.00
Averages
306.89
High
350.00
Current: 259.880
Low
239.00
Averages
306.89
High
350.00
About AAPL
Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and sells a variety of related services. Its product categories include iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Wearables, Home and Accessories. Its software platforms include iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS. Its services include advertising, AppleCare, cloud services, digital content and payment services. The Company operates various platforms, including the App Store, that allow customers to discover and download applications and digital content, such as books, music, video, games and podcasts. It also offers digital content through subscription-based services, including Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, and Apple TV+. Its products include iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 15, iPhone 14, iPhone SE, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro, iPad Pro, iPad Air, AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro and others.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Apple's New Product Launch Expands Market Reach
- New Product Launch: Apple unveiled the new MacBook Neo at its March event, starting at $599, which is approximately $500 cheaper than the cheapest MacBook Air, effectively expanding its addressable market in the computer space, particularly targeting budget-conscious consumers.
- Market Opportunity: According to data from Computer Intelligence, around 27% of retail PCs sold in the U.S. are priced at $1,000 or less, and Apple's new pricing strategy positions it to attract a significant number of new customers who previously could not or would not spend high amounts on a MacBook.
- Sales Potential: Apple's total hardware sales exceeded $305 billion in 2025, with Mac products accounting for only about one-tenth of that; successfully entering the low-end computer market could represent a substantial boost to its Mac sales.
- Financial Outlook: Although Apple's price-to-earnings ratio is approximately 30 times this year's earnings estimates, analysts expect earnings to grow by 13% annually over the next three to five years, indicating that the current higher valuation is justified, and investors should consider buying at fair prices.
See More
Notebook Prices May Rise by 40% Amid Supply Chain Pressures
- Price Increase Pressure: According to TrendForce, with an average retail price of $900, notebook brands may need to raise prices by at least 30% to maintain current profit margins, which will directly impact consumer purchasing decisions.
- Rising Material Costs: If both memory and CPU prices increase, their combined share of the bill of materials could rise from 45% to around 58%, indicating a significant increase in overall production costs that forces manufacturers to adjust pricing strategies.
- Major Manufacturers' Responses: HP is securing memory supply through strategic inventory with new suppliers, while Dell relies on long-term service agreements to keep hardware within customer budgets, demonstrating proactive strategies in addressing supply chain challenges.
- Weak Market Demand: Despite rising memory and processor prices, the overall demand for notebooks remains weak, creating a contradictory market environment that puts dual pressure on manufacturers regarding pricing and cost control, potentially leading to further price increases for future products.
See More
Comparing Growth Prospects of Palantir and Broadcom
- Palantir Revenue Surge: Palantir's revenue tripled from $1.5 billion in 2021 to $4.5 billion by 2025, reflecting robust demand in both government and commercial sectors, particularly driven by new contracts.
- Profitability Boost: In 2023, Palantir became profitable with net income soaring nearly eightfold to $1.6 billion over two years, indicating the success of its business model and increased market acceptance.
- Broadcom Market Edge: Broadcom achieved a 24% CAGR in revenue for fiscal 2025, with 58% of its revenue from semiconductor solutions and 42% from infrastructure software, showcasing its competitive strength in a diversified market.
- AI Chip Sales Growth: Broadcom's AI chip sales soared 65% to $20 billion in fiscal 2025, accounting for 31% of total revenue, with projections of $60-$90 billion in annualized revenue by fiscal 2027, highlighting its strong potential in the AI market.
See More
Market Outlook Analysis for Palantir and Broadcom
- Palantir's Growth Potential: Palantir's revenue is projected to grow from $1.5 billion in 2021 to $4.5 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 49%, primarily driven by new government contracts and expansion in its commercial business, indicating strong performance in the AI market.
- Profitability Improvement: In 2023, Palantir became profitable with net income soaring nearly eightfold to $1.6 billion over two years, demonstrating the effectiveness of its business model and robust market demand.
- Broadcom's Market Positioning: Broadcom's revenue and adjusted EBITDA grew at CAGRs of 24% and 27% from 2021 to 2025, respectively, with its unique combination of semiconductor and infrastructure software providing a competitive edge in the market.
- AI Chip Sales Growth: Broadcom's AI chip sales surged 65% to $20 billion in 2025, accounting for 31% of its total revenue, with expectations to generate $60-$90 billion in annualized AI chip revenue by 2028, highlighting its strong growth potential in the AI sector.
See More
Wall Street Divided on Market Concentration Issues
- Market Concentration Analysis: Research from Elm Wealth indicates that current market concentration levels align with historical norms, particularly when compared to the 1930s, 1950s, and 1960s, suggesting that investor concerns about concentration may be misplaced.
- Dynamic Trading Strategy Risks: The study reveals that a dynamic trading strategy that adjusts equity exposure based on concentration changes results in lower returns and higher volatility, with a Sharpe ratio less than half that of a simple buy-and-hold strategy, indicating that overreacting may harm investment performance.
- Passive Investment Impact: While some argue that passive index investing has inflated the concentration of large stocks, historical data shows that the market was highly concentrated as early as the 1930s, indicating that such concentration is a normal market phenomenon rather than a direct consequence of investment strategies.
- Valuation and Return Expectations: Haghani and White estimate that the long-term expected return of U.S. equities is only about 1% above inflation-protected bonds, suggesting that investors should focus more on stock selection and disciplined asset allocation rather than merely reshuffling their portfolios.
See More
Musk's Ad Poll Reveals Poor User Engagement
- User Feedback Disappoints: Musk's poll revealed that only 11.9% of users had purchased something due to an ad, while 88.1% said they had not, indicating a significant lack of ad effectiveness that could impact the company's advertising revenue.
- Trust Crisis in Advertising: Since Musk's acquisition in 2022, advertising has remained the primary revenue source, yet brands and users have consistently questioned ad effectiveness, leading to reduced ad spending; Musk's remark to advertisers pulling back spending reflects his frustration with the situation.
- Commitment to Technological Innovation: Musk claims the company has developed AI technology capable of making ads more relevant to users through the Grok system, aiming to enhance ad relevance and effectiveness, although current user feedback suggests that many still feel ads do not influence their purchasing decisions.
- Hope for Brand Return: Despite challenges, signs of recovery emerged in late 2024 as many companies resumed advertising campaigns, prompting Musk to express gratitude and commend former CEO Linda Yaccarino and the team for rebuilding trust with advertisers, indicating potential improvements in future advertising business.
See More
Apple's New Product Launch Expands Market Reach
- New Product Launch: Apple unveiled the new MacBook Neo at its March event, starting at $599, which is approximately $500 cheaper than the cheapest MacBook Air, effectively expanding its addressable market in the computer space, particularly targeting budget-conscious consumers.
- Market Opportunity: According to data from Computer Intelligence, around 27% of retail PCs sold in the U.S. are priced at $1,000 or less, and Apple's new pricing strategy positions it to attract a significant number of new customers who previously could not or would not spend high amounts on a MacBook.
- Sales Potential: Apple's total hardware sales exceeded $305 billion in 2025, with Mac products accounting for only about one-tenth of that; successfully entering the low-end computer market could represent a substantial boost to its Mac sales.
- Financial Outlook: Although Apple's price-to-earnings ratio is approximately 30 times this year's earnings estimates, analysts expect earnings to grow by 13% annually over the next three to five years, indicating that the current higher valuation is justified, and investors should consider buying at fair prices.
See More
Notebook Prices May Rise by 40% Amid Supply Chain Pressures
- Price Increase Pressure: According to TrendForce, with an average retail price of $900, notebook brands may need to raise prices by at least 30% to maintain current profit margins, which will directly impact consumer purchasing decisions.
- Rising Material Costs: If both memory and CPU prices increase, their combined share of the bill of materials could rise from 45% to around 58%, indicating a significant increase in overall production costs that forces manufacturers to adjust pricing strategies.
- Major Manufacturers' Responses: HP is securing memory supply through strategic inventory with new suppliers, while Dell relies on long-term service agreements to keep hardware within customer budgets, demonstrating proactive strategies in addressing supply chain challenges.
- Weak Market Demand: Despite rising memory and processor prices, the overall demand for notebooks remains weak, creating a contradictory market environment that puts dual pressure on manufacturers regarding pricing and cost control, potentially leading to further price increases for future products.
See More
Comparing Growth Prospects of Palantir and Broadcom
- Palantir Revenue Surge: Palantir's revenue tripled from $1.5 billion in 2021 to $4.5 billion by 2025, reflecting robust demand in both government and commercial sectors, particularly driven by new contracts.
- Profitability Boost: In 2023, Palantir became profitable with net income soaring nearly eightfold to $1.6 billion over two years, indicating the success of its business model and increased market acceptance.
- Broadcom Market Edge: Broadcom achieved a 24% CAGR in revenue for fiscal 2025, with 58% of its revenue from semiconductor solutions and 42% from infrastructure software, showcasing its competitive strength in a diversified market.
- AI Chip Sales Growth: Broadcom's AI chip sales soared 65% to $20 billion in fiscal 2025, accounting for 31% of total revenue, with projections of $60-$90 billion in annualized revenue by fiscal 2027, highlighting its strong potential in the AI market.
See More
Market Outlook Analysis for Palantir and Broadcom
- Palantir's Growth Potential: Palantir's revenue is projected to grow from $1.5 billion in 2021 to $4.5 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 49%, primarily driven by new government contracts and expansion in its commercial business, indicating strong performance in the AI market.
- Profitability Improvement: In 2023, Palantir became profitable with net income soaring nearly eightfold to $1.6 billion over two years, demonstrating the effectiveness of its business model and robust market demand.
- Broadcom's Market Positioning: Broadcom's revenue and adjusted EBITDA grew at CAGRs of 24% and 27% from 2021 to 2025, respectively, with its unique combination of semiconductor and infrastructure software providing a competitive edge in the market.
- AI Chip Sales Growth: Broadcom's AI chip sales surged 65% to $20 billion in 2025, accounting for 31% of its total revenue, with expectations to generate $60-$90 billion in annualized AI chip revenue by 2028, highlighting its strong growth potential in the AI sector.
See More
Wall Street Divided on Market Concentration Issues
- Market Concentration Analysis: Research from Elm Wealth indicates that current market concentration levels align with historical norms, particularly when compared to the 1930s, 1950s, and 1960s, suggesting that investor concerns about concentration may be misplaced.
- Dynamic Trading Strategy Risks: The study reveals that a dynamic trading strategy that adjusts equity exposure based on concentration changes results in lower returns and higher volatility, with a Sharpe ratio less than half that of a simple buy-and-hold strategy, indicating that overreacting may harm investment performance.
- Passive Investment Impact: While some argue that passive index investing has inflated the concentration of large stocks, historical data shows that the market was highly concentrated as early as the 1930s, indicating that such concentration is a normal market phenomenon rather than a direct consequence of investment strategies.
- Valuation and Return Expectations: Haghani and White estimate that the long-term expected return of U.S. equities is only about 1% above inflation-protected bonds, suggesting that investors should focus more on stock selection and disciplined asset allocation rather than merely reshuffling their portfolios.
See More
Musk's Ad Poll Reveals Poor User Engagement
- User Feedback Disappoints: Musk's poll revealed that only 11.9% of users had purchased something due to an ad, while 88.1% said they had not, indicating a significant lack of ad effectiveness that could impact the company's advertising revenue.
- Trust Crisis in Advertising: Since Musk's acquisition in 2022, advertising has remained the primary revenue source, yet brands and users have consistently questioned ad effectiveness, leading to reduced ad spending; Musk's remark to advertisers pulling back spending reflects his frustration with the situation.
- Commitment to Technological Innovation: Musk claims the company has developed AI technology capable of making ads more relevant to users through the Grok system, aiming to enhance ad relevance and effectiveness, although current user feedback suggests that many still feel ads do not influence their purchasing decisions.
- Hope for Brand Return: Despite challenges, signs of recovery emerged in late 2024 as many companies resumed advertising campaigns, prompting Musk to express gratitude and commend former CEO Linda Yaccarino and the team for rebuilding trust with advertisers, indicating potential improvements in future advertising business.
See More
