Finance

Trump Media loses $19.2 million in third quarter, surprise Election Day filing reveals

Published

4 months ago

November 5, 2024

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall meeting in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S. October 20, 2024.

Brian Snyder | Reuters

Trump Media, which is experienced a flurry of trading activity Tuesday as a possible proxy for Donald Trump’s presidency chances, revealed after the closing bell a loss for the third quarter along with a slight drop in already meager revenue.

The Truth Social parent lost $19.2 million during the period while revenue fell 5.6% to just $1.01 million from the year-earlier period. The filing was not telegraphed to investors beforehand and came as a surprise to traders not expecting it on Election Day, the very day the former President and Trump Media majority owner squares off against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Shares were slightly higher in after-hours trading following the filing. Earlier in the day, the stock gave up an 18.6% surge to close 1.2% lower. The shares could move in the after hours or on Wednesday depending on the election results.

Trump Media, which trades under the ticker DJT, has seen volatile trading lately. Over the past week, it’s down more than 34%. However, it’s still up 93% year to date.

Volume in the name on Tuesday more than double its average 30-day volume.

Finance

BRK, HOOD, NKE, PLTR and more

Published

48 minutes ago

February 24, 2025

Business Finance News

Finance

Berkshire advances on surge in earnings, but questions linger about cash

Published

5 hours ago

February 24, 2025

Business Finance News

Warren Buffett walks the floor ahead of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on May 3, 2024.

David A. Grogen | CNBC

Berkshire Hathaway shares got a boost after Warren Buffett’s conglomerate reported a surge in operating earnings, but shareholders who were waiting for news of what will happen to its enormous pile of cash might be disappointed.

Class A shares of the Omaha-based parent of Geico and BNSF Railway rose 1.2% premarket Monday following Berkshire’s earnings report over the weekend. Berkshire’s operating profit — earnings from the company’s wholly owned businesses — skyrocketed 71% to $14.5 billion in the fourth quarter, aided by insurance underwriting, where profits jumped 302% from the year-earlier period, to $3.4 billion.

Berkshire’s investment gains from its portfolio holdings slowed sharply, however, in the fourth quarter, to $5.2 billion from $29.1 billion in the year-earlier period. Berkshire sold more equities than it bought for a ninth consecutive quarter in the three months of last year, bringing total sale of equities to more than $134 billion in 2024. Notably, the 94-year-old investor has been aggressively shrinking Berkshire’s two largest equity holdings — Apple and Bank of America.

As a result of the selling spree, Berkshire’s gigantic cash pile grew to another record of $334.2 billion, up from $325.2 billion at the end of the third quarter.

In Buffett’s annual letter, the “Oracle of Omaha” said that raising a record amount of cash didn’t reflect a dimming of his love for buying stocks and businesses.

“Despite what some commentators currently view as an extraordinary cash position at Berkshire, the great majority of your money remains in equities,” Buffett wrote. “That preference won’t change.”

He hinted that high valuations were the reason for sitting on his hands amid a raging bull market, saying “often, nothing looks compelling.” Buffett also endorsed the ability of Greg Abek, his chosen successor, to pick equity opportunities, even comparing him to the late Charlie Munger.

Meanwhile, Berkshire’s buyback halt is still in place as the conglomerate repurchased zero shares in the fourth quarter and in the first quarter of this year, through Feb. 10.

Some investors and analysts expressed impatience with the lack of action and continued to wait for an explanation, while others have faith that Buffett’s conservative stance will pave the way for big opportunities in the next downturn.

“Shareholders should take comfort in knowing that the firm continues to be managed to survive and emerge stronger from any economic or market downturn by being in a financial position to take advantage of opportunities during a crisis,” said Bill Stone, chief investment officer at Glenview Trust Company and a Berkshire shareholder.

Berkshire is coming off a strong year, when it rallied 25.5% in 2024, outperforming the S&P 500 — its best since 2021. The stock is up more than 5% so far in 2025.