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OMAHA, Neb. – Warren Buffett's county Hathaway reported a 43 proportionality move in fourth-quarter acquire Sat thanks to the brawny action of BNSF gauge and a paper acquire of $1.4 1000000000 on the company's derivative contracts and investments.

Buffett said in his period honor that the acquisition of the metropolis Northern Santa Fe gauge was the highlight of 2010 for his Omaha, Neb.,-based company.

Berkshire reported $4.38 1000000000 gain income, or $2,656 per Class A share, in the fourth quarter. That's up from the $3.1 1000000000 gain income, or $1,969 per Class A share, a assemblage ago.

The threesome analysts surveyed by FactSet due county to report earnings per Class A deal of $1,690 in the fourth quarter.

Berkshire's revenue grew nearly 20 proportionality to $36.2 1000000000 from $30.2 1000000000 terminal year.

During the fourth lodge of 2010, county recorded a mostly unsuccessful acquire of $1.4 1000000000 on its derivatives and investments. In the preceding assemblage Berkshire's investments and derivatives additional $1.03 1000000000 to its fourth-quarter profit.

Buffett said Berkshire's $26.7 1000000000 acquisition of BNSF terminal February is working out meliorate than he expected. The gauge additional $2.2 1000000000 to Berkshire's gain income in 2010, and Buffett said owning the gauge will process Berkshire's "normal" earning noesis by nearly 40 proportionality pre-tax and substantially over 30 proportionality after-tax.

Buffett said he estimates that Berkshire's companies now hit the noesis to generate most $12 1000000000 in after-tax earnings in a "normal" assemblage with a decent frugalness and without a field hardship for Berkshire's shelter businesses to cover.

Berkshire's shelter division, which includes Geico and General Reinsurance, performed substantially in 2010. Berkshire's shelter underwriting acquire grew 37 percent, to $1.3 1000000000 in 2010 from the preceding year's $949 million.

Most of Berkshire's manufacturing, assist and retail businesses also reinforced in 2010 and contributed $2.5 1000000000 to gain income. But individual of Berkshire's subsidiaries are specially huffy to the housing market, much as Acme Brick, Shaw Carpet, and artist Manville. So those businesses hit been slow to improve.

Buffett also reminded investors that county has lowercase quantity of matching its past stellar action because the consort is so large.

Buffett ease strives to vex the returns of the S&P 500 index apiece year, but he said there is no quantity of surpassing action because county has investments of stock, change and bonds worth $158 billion.

Buffett's desirable measure of Berkshire's action is the ontogeny in its aggregation value, which is a computing of the company's assets harmful its liabilities. Buffett said Berkshire's aggregation continuance grew 13 proportionality to $95,453 in 2010. The S&P 500, which county connected terminal year, gained 15.1 proportionality terminal assemblage when dividends were factored in.

Buffett said he's hunting for more bounteous acquisitions to increase Berkshire's earnings power.

Berkshire owns roughly 80 subsidiaries, including clothing, furniture, jewelry and joint jet firms, but its shelter and programme businesses typically account for more than half of the company's gain income. It also has field investments in much companies as Coca-Cola Co. and Wells Fargo & Co.

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