The two investors Warren Buffett hired several years ago to help manage and eventually take over Berkshire Hathaway portfolio had a fantastic start, with returns reminiscent of their boss’ virtuosity. But recent results have been more mixed, including so far in 2015.
For Warren Buffett, a house divided on climate change (Las Vegas Sun)
Buffet is a study in contrasts. Berkshire Hathaway owns power companies, natural gas pipelines, coal plants and large chunks of oil companies. Buffett’s electricity providers are fighting across the country in courts, legislatures and utility commissions against policies that mandate utility companies pay rooftop solar customers for the energy that they provide.
Conversely, Buffett and his company have invested $15 billion into renewable energy since 2000. He is a dominant wind provider in the Midwest. His Nevada utility has a portfolio that’s one-fifth renewables. In July, Buffett promised the White House he would double what he’s already spent to build more wind farms and solar arrays, close coal plants and reform the nation’s power grid.
Buffett May Get Dow Chemical Stock, But Regret It (WSJ MoneyBeat)
Warren Buffett could wind up with a hefty new stock position soon. But he may not want it.
Mr. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. owns a big slug of preferred shares in Dow Chemical Co., the industrial giant that the Journal reported last night is in advanced talks to combine with DuPont Co. Berkshire got the shares in 2009, when Mr. Buffett’s company gave Dow $3 billion to help finance its purchase of chemical maker Rohm & Haas Co. In return, Berkshire received preferred stock that pays an 8.5% annual dividend. [...]
From Mr. Buffett’s perspective, however, that may not be the best outcome. Berkshire has been collecting $255 million in interest on the preferred shares each year, and Mr. Buffett has long warned shareholders that he’d be hard-pressed to earn similar returns for his crisis-era investments as they roll off the books.
Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Cuts Munich Re Holding to 4.6% (Bloomberg)
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. further reduced its stake in Munich Re as the billionaire investor re-evaluates the attractiveness of the reinsurance market.
The holding was trimmed to 4.6 percent from 9.7 percent, Munich Re said in a filing Friday. Buffett’s firm once owned about 12 percent of the Munich-based reinsurer and has been lowering the stake this year. [...]
Where Could Berkshire Hathaway Be in 10 Years? (Fool)
A round-up of opinions from Fool writers...
I think there's a good chance the Berkshire Hathaway of 2025 will have a much larger presence in energy. In fact, the company's energy arm, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, already represents a substantial portion of the company's business, equal to about 9% of year-to-date sales and 15% of its assets. Berkshire Hathaway Energy focuses on the kinds of fixed-fee, long-term contracted revenue that results in the predictable cash flow that is the hallmark of the kind of business model Buffett likes. [...]
AIG, Berkshire Get $400 Million as Alleghany Deal Winds Down (Bloomberg)
Weston Hicks’s Alleghany Corp. will pay $400 million to wind down reinsurance deals with American International Group Inc. and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. for policies that date back decades.
Transatlantic Reinsurance Co., owned by Hicks’s firm, will end contracts that covered asbestos-related illness and environmental liabilities, according to an Alleghany regulatory filing Tuesday. [...]
Has Warren Buffett Finally Found a Winning Big Oil Investment? (Fool)
[...] In the recent release of Berkshire's 13F filing with the SEC, the company disclosed that it had more than doubled its holdings in midstream and downstream integrated giant Phillips 66 in the third quarter.
According to the filing, Berkshire bought more than 31 million shares of the company, putting Berkshire's total holdings in Phillips 66 stock at 61.5 million shares. Add it all up, and Berkshire now owns more than 11.5% of the refining and petrochemicals giant.
Warren Buffett just bought this stock personally (CNN Money)
[...] Buffett rarely makes personal investments outside of Berkshire Hathaway. He disclosed one on Thursday.
Buffett personally bought 2 million shares of a company called Seritage Growth Properties (SRG). That works out to an 8% stake and makes him Seritage's second-largest shareholder. [...]
What the heck is Seritage? It's a real estate investment company that was spun off by struggling retailer Sears (SHLD) earlier this year. Seritage owns 262 retail locations. Most of them are Sears or Kmart stores. (Sears also owns Kmart.) Seritage then leases the properties back to the Sears and Kmart stores.
2016 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting Dates Announced (Guru Focus)
Berkshire Hathaway just announced The 2016 Annual Shareholders Meeting information. The 2016 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the same location as last year [...]
The Billionaire and the Ukulele: Warren Buffett’s Lifetime Investment (Hear Nebraska)
More than 65 years have passed since Warren first picked up the ukulele. In that time, he’s worn many hats: husband, father, investor, Berkshire Hathaway CEO, billionaire, philanthropist. He’s been dubbed “The Oracle of Omaha” and, according to 2015 Forbes Magazine rankings, is the third richest person in the world.
And he still plays the ukulele.
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