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Business segment data
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]  
Business segment data
(23) Business segment data

Our operating businesses include a large and diverse group of insurance, finance, manufacturing, service and retailing businesses. We organize our reportable business segments in a manner that reflects how management views those business activities. Certain businesses are grouped together for segment reporting based upon similar products or product lines, marketing, selling and distribution characteristics, even though those business units are operated under separate local management.

The tabular information that follows shows data of reportable segments reconciled to amounts reflected in our Consolidated Financial Statements. Intersegment transactions are not eliminated from segment results when management considers those transactions in assessing the results of the respective segments. Furthermore, our management does not consider investment and derivative gains/losses, amortization of certain purchase accounting adjustments related to Berkshire’s business acquisitions or certain other corporate income and expense items in assessing the financial performance of operating units. Collectively, these items are included in reconciliations of segment amounts to consolidated amounts.

 

Business Identity

  

Business Activity

 

Insurance:

  

 

GEICO

   Underwriting private passenger automobile insurance mainly by direct response methods

Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group

   Underwriting excess-of-loss, quota-share and facultative reinsurance worldwide (General Re Group and NICO Group)

Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group

   Underwriting multiple lines of property and casualty insurance policies for primarily commercial accounts

BNSF

   Operation of one of the largest railroad systems in North America

Berkshire Hathaway Energy

   Regulated electric and gas utility, including power generation and distribution activities and real estate brokerage activities

Manufacturing

   Manufacturers of numerous products including industrial, consumer and building products

McLane Company

   Wholesale distribution of groceries and non-food items

Service and retailing

   Providers of numerous services including fractional aircraft ownership programs, aviation pilot training, electronic components distribution and various retailing businesses, including automotive dealerships

Finance and financial products

   Manufactured housing and related consumer financing, transportation equipment, manufacturing and leasing and furniture leasing

 

A disaggregation of our consolidated data for each of the three most recent years is presented in the tables which follow (in millions).

 

     Revenues      Earnings before income taxes  
   2017      2016      2015      2017      2016      2015  

Operating Businesses:

                 

Insurance:

                 

Underwriting:

                 

GEICO

     $ 29,441        $ 25,483        $ 22,718        $ (310      $ 462        $ 460  

Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group

     24,013        14,141        13,182        (3,648      1,012        553  

Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group

     7,143        6,257        5,394        719        657        824  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Insurance underwriting

     60,597        45,881        41,294        (3,239      2,131        1,837  

Investment income

     4,911        4,522        4,562        4,902        4,482        4,550  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total insurance

     65,508        50,403        45,856        1,663        6,613        6,387  

BNSF

     21,387        19,829        21,967        6,328        5,693        6,775  

Berkshire Hathaway Energy

     18,939        17,859        18,231        2,584        2,973        2,851  

Manufacturing

     50,445        46,506        36,136        6,861        6,211        4,893  

McLane Company

     49,775        48,075        48,223        299        431        502  

Service and retailing

     26,313        25,478        23,466        2,083        1,820        1,720  

Finance and financial products

     8,376        7,675        6,964        2,058        2,130        2,086  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     240,743        215,825        200,843        21,876        25,871        25,214  

Reconciliation to consolidated amount:

                 

Investment and derivative gains/losses

     2,128        8,304        10,347        2,128        8,304        10,347  

Interest expense, not allocated to segments

     —          —          —          (1,494      (230      (374

Investments in Kraft Heinz

     —          180        852        2,938        1,103        730  

Corporate, eliminations and other

     (734      (705      (1,099      (1,610      (1,381      (971
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     $ 242,137        $ 223,604        $ 210,943        $ 23,838        $ 33,667        $ 34,946  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     Interest expense      Income tax expense  
   2017      2016      2015      2017      2016      2015  

Operating Businesses:

                 

Insurance

         $ —             $ —             $ —           $ (55)          $ 1,585           $ 1,475   

BNSF

     1,016         992         928         2,369         2,124         2,527   

Berkshire Hathaway Energy

     2,254         1,715         1,830         178         403         450   

Manufacturing

     189         164         50         2,155         1,945         1,548   

McLane Company

     19         —           13         94         169         195   

Service and retailing

     56         50         40         726         669         651   

Finance and financial products

     397         411         384         723         702         708   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     3,931         3,332         3,245         6,190         7,597         7,554   

Reconciliation to consolidated amount:

                 

Investment and derivative gains/losses

     —           —           —           742         1,807         3,622   

Interest expense, not allocated to segments

     1,494         230         374         (523)        (81)        (131)  

Investments in Kraft Heinz

     —           —           —           832         397         (111)  

Income tax net benefit – Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

     —           —           —           (28,200)        —           —     

Corporate, eliminations and other

     (31)        (65)        (104)        (556)        (480)        (402)  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
         $ 5,394           $ 3,497           $ 3,515         $ (21,515)          $ 9,240           $ 10,532   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     Capital expenditures        Depreciation of tangible assets  
   2017        2016        2015        2017        2016        2015  

Operating Businesses:

                           

Insurance

     $ 170          $ 128          $ 115          $ 84          $ 85          $ 77  

BNSF

     3,256          3,819          5,651          2,304          2,079          1,932  

Berkshire Hathaway Energy

     4,571          5,090          5,875          2,548          2,560          2,451  

Manufacturing

     1,905          1,813          1,292          1,357          1,287          938  

McLane Company

     289          258          338          193          165          161  

Service and retailing

     587          804          574          583          611          504  

Finance and financial products

     930          1,042          2,237          650          624          610  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $ 11,708          $ 12,954          $ 16,082          $ 7,719          $ 7,411          $ 6,673  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

     Goodwill
at year-end
       Identifiable assets
at year-end
 
   2017        2016        2017        2016        2015  

Operating Businesses:

                      

Insurance

     $ 15,499          $ 15,474          $ 297,048          $ 234,037          $ 219,451  

BNSF

     14,845          14,845          69,438          69,277          66,613  

Berkshire Hathaway Energy

     9,935          9,266          80,195          76,428          74,221  

Manufacturing

     32,981          32,041          72,630          69,900          34,141  

McLane Company

     734          734          6,090          5,896          5,871  

Service and retailing

     5,771          5,745          18,215          17,450          16,299  

Finance and financial products

     1,493          1,381          40,392          40,329          37,621  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $ 81,258          $ 79,486          584,008          513,317          454,217  
  

 

 

      

 

 

                

Reconciliation to consolidated amount:

                      

Corporate and other

               36,829          28,051          35,332  

Goodwill

               81,258          79,486          62,708  
            

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
               $ 702,095          $ 620,854          $ 552,257  
            

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Premiums written and earned by the property/casualty and life/health insurance businesses are summarized below (in millions).

 

     Property/Casualty      Life/Health  
   2017      2016      2015      2017      2016      2015  

Premiums Written:

                 

Direct

    $ 39,377       $ 34,001       $ 30,544       $ 866       $ 1,060       $ 821  

Assumed

     17,815        8,037        7,049        4,925        4,672        5,187  

Ceded

     (694      (798      (877      (47      (62      (57
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    $ 56,498       $ 41,240       $ 36,716       $ 5,744       $ 5,670       $ 5,951  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Premiums Earned:

                 

Direct

    $ 37,755       $ 33,207       $ 29,608       $ 866       $ 1,060       $ 821  

Assumed

     17,813        7,848        6,584        4,866        4,671        5,192  

Ceded

     (677      (843      (854      (26      (62      (57
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    $ 54,891       $ 40,212       $ 35,338       $ 5,706       $ 5,669       $ 5,956  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

Insurance premiums written by geographic region (based upon the domicile of the insured or reinsured) are summarized below. Dollars are in millions.

 

           Property/Casualty              Life/Health  
         2017        2016        2015              2017        2016        2015  

United States

      $ 50,604         $ 35,878         $ 31,171           $ 3,320         $ 3,473         $ 3,247  

Asia Pacific

       3,307          3,616          3,472            879          715          673  

Western Europe

       1,516          1,406          1,638            909          822          1,263  

All other

       1,071          340          435            636          660          768  
    

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

        

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
      $ 56,498         $ 41,240         $ 36,716           $ 5,744         $ 5,670         $ 5,951  
    

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

        

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Consolidated sales and service revenues were $132.9 billion in 2017, $125.7 billion in 2016 and $112.4 billion in 2015. In 2017 and 2016, 85% of such revenues were attributable to the United States compared to 87% in 2015. The remainder of sales and service revenues were primarily in Europe, Canada and the Asia Pacific. Consolidated sales and service revenues included sales to Walmart Stores, Inc. of approximately $14 billion in 2017 and 2016 and $13 billion in 2015. Approximately 95% of our revenues for each of the last three years from railroad, utilities and energy businesses were in the United States. At December 31, 2017, approximately 89% of our consolidated net property, plant and equipment was located in the United States with the remainder primarily in Canada and Europe.