DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Berkshire invests in Capital One, sheds four stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Buffett's company made its disclosures in a regulatory filing listing its U.S.-traded stocks as of March 31. Capital One shares rose 5.7% in after-hours trading following Berkshire's disclosure of a 9.92 million share stake worth about $954 million. In Monday's filing, Berkshire also revealed a new $41.3 million stake in Diageo Plc (DGE.L), the maker of alcoholic beverages including Johnnie Walker and Guinness. BERKSHIRE BUYS MORE APPLE, BANK OF AMERICADespite the selling, Berkshire still invests in several financial services companies. Berkshire also has dozens of operating businesses including the BNSF railroad, Geico car insurance, and many energy, manufacturing and consumer units.

☆ Warren Buffett's Apple bet is worth $158 billion or 22% of Berkshire Hathaway's total market value. The investor gave 5 reasons why he's not stressing about the wager's size.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Warren Buffett defended the size of Berkshire Hathaway's $158 billion stake in Apple on Saturday. Buffett also underscored another benefit to holding Apple stock: share repurchases. The Berkshire chief noted an additional part of Apple's value is its appeal to customers. He gave a theoretical example of someone having to choose between parting with a second car worth $35,000, or their $1,500 iPhone. "If they had to give up a second car or give up their iPhone, they give up their second car," he said.

☆ UBS shares its 5 top takeaways for investors from Berkshire Hathaway's 'best annual meeting in years' — including how Warren Buffett's successor will take over
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Berkshire Hathaway had a successful annual meeting following its Q1 earnings report. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway had its "best annual meeting in years" over the weekend, according to UBS analyst Brian Meredith — and it wasn't just because of its strong earnings report. 5 top takeaways from Berkshire Hathaway's annual meetingStrong earnings results were just one impressive component from Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting. "We viewed Berkshire's 2023 annual meeting as the best in several years with quality questions and insightful answers," Meredith wrote. After BNSF undershot on volumes and suffered from higher compensation costs, Berkshire investors may start to wonder if the company would reconsider its stance against PSR.

☆ The most important thing Warren Buffett said Saturday, and it isn't good news for the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Investors always look to Buffett for economic insights as his myriad of businesses are closely tied to broader spending and overall demand. If you couldn't sell them one thing, they would put another thing in their backlog," Buffett said. Still, Buffett thinks Berkshire is positioned well in terms of its investment income as higher interest rates are earning the conglomerate a substantial return. Berkshire has fared well so far despite a challenging macro environment with operating earnings jumping 12.6% in the first quarter. "Nothing is sure tomorrow, nothing is sure next year, and nothing is ever sure, either in markets or in business forecasts, or in anything else," Buffett said.

☆ Buffett says people would rather give up a second car than an iPhone. Here's why Apple's business is so stellar
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"If they had to give up a second car or give up their iPhone, they'd give up their second car. AAPL .SPX mountain 2016-05-16 Apple's stock performance versus the S & P 500 since May 16, 2016, the day Berkshire's stake in the iPhone maker was first disclosed. Buffett's comments Saturday were "very bullish on Apple," Jim said Monday during the Club's "Morning Meeting." Free cash flow is generally defined as operating cash flow minus capital expenditures or cash spent on purchases of plant, property and equipment (PP & E). Berkshire currently owns about 5.66% of the 15.82 billion Apple shares outstanding, according to FactSet.

[1/9] Investors and guests arrive for the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders' meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. May 6, 2023. Speaking at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting, Buffett criticized how politicians, regulators and the press have handled the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, saying their "very poor" messaging has unnecessarily frightened depositors. At the meeting, Berkshire shareholders reelected all directors and rejected shareholder proposals concerning climate change, diversity and political activities. LIGHTED MATCHBuffett said regulators were right to guarantee depositors of Silicon Valley Bank, saying that not doing so "would have been catastrophic." He also said bank shareholders and executives should bear the risks of mismanagement, with Munger criticizing executives concerned more with getting rich than with customers.

OMAHA, Nebraska, May 6 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett said on Saturday that Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) is not planning to acquire Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N) but remains happy with its large investment in the oil company. Speaking at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting, Buffett rejected speculation that Berkshire would buy Occidental after having accumulated a 23.6% stake. "We will not be making any offer for Occidental," Buffett said. "Hollub is an extraordinary manager at Occidental," Buffett said. Last August, Berkshire won U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permission to buy up to 50% of Occidental's common stock.

Speaking at the annual meeting of his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N), criticized how politicians, regulators and the press have handled the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, saying their "very poor" messaging has unnecessarily frightened depositors. The meeting featured Buffett, 92, who is Berkshire's chairman and chief executive, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger answering five hours of shareholder questions. LIGHTED MATCHBuffett said regulators were right to guarantee depositors of Silicon Valley Bank, saying that not doing so "would have been catastrophic." Buffett defended the size of Berkshire's $151 billion Apple investment, saying consumers are less likely to shed their $1,500 iPhones than, for example, their $35,000 second cars. Many recognized it could be one of their last chances to see Buffett and Munger, given their ages.

Buffett spoke hours after Berkshire posted a $35.5 billion quarterly profit and said it bought back $4.4 billion of its own stock, a sign it considered the shares undervalued. The meeting features Buffett, 92, who is Berkshire's chairman and chief executive, and Charlie Munger, 99, a vice chairman, answering five hours of shareholder questions. Many recognized it could be one of their last chances to see Buffett and Munger, given their advanced ages. Yongsheng Zhao, who lives in Shanghai and is a researcher for an asset management firm, said he showed up at midnight to attend his eighth Berkshire meeting. "I am inspired by their passion and normalcy," he said, referring to Buffett and Munger.

OMAHA, Nebraska, May 6 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett on Saturday offered a vote of confidence in the United States, saying he could not imagine the government letting it default on its debt and risk letting the world's financial system "go into turmoil." Buffett, 92, who is Berkshire's chairman and chief executive, and Charlie Munger, 99, a vice chairman, are answering five hours of shareholder questions at the meeting. Many recognized it could be one of their last chances to see Buffett and Munger, given their advanced ages. Yongsheng Zhao, who lives in Shanghai and is a researcher for an asset management firm, said he showed up at midnight to attend his eighth Berkshire meeting. "I am inspired by their passion and normalcy," he said, referring to Buffett and Munger.

☆ Warren Buffett set for 59th Berkshire Hathaway shareholder marathon as big questions loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett walks through the exhibit hall as shareholders gather to hear from the billionaire investor at Berkshire Hathaway Inc's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 4, 2019. Tens of thousands of people are flocking to Omaha, Nebraska this weekend for the extravaganza that Buffett, 92, calls "Woodstock for Capitalists." "Charlie is 99 and Warren turns 93 on Aug. 30," Lountzis added, "and you just don't know how many more you're going to have." Buffett and Munger are due to answer five hours of shareholder questions at the meeting. "We believe in constructive engagement and dialogue, whether it's Warren Buffett or another company," Frerichs said in an interview.

☆ Warren Buffett and Greg Abel respond to question on BNSF derailments
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWarren Buffett and Greg Abel respond to question on BNSF derailmentsBerkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger preside over the 2023 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. Buffet's team responds to a question about train derailment incidents involving Norfolk Southern and BNSF this year. Berkshire owns BNSF Railway.

☆ Berkshire Hathaway's operating earnings increase 12% in the first quarter, cash hoard tops $130 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Earnings for Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway jumped in the first quarter, thanks in part to a rebound in the conglomerate's insurance business. Operating earnings, which encompass profits from the conglomerate's fully-owned businesses, totaled $8.065 billion in the first quarter. Profit from insurance underwriting came in at $911 million, up sharply from $167 million a year prior. The auto insurer suffered a $1.9 billion pretax underwriting loss last year as it lost market share to competitor Progressive. Berkshire's cash hoard swelled to $130.616 billion from $128 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022.

☆ Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway sold a net $10 billion of stocks last quarter - but ramped up buybacks to over $4 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway reported first-quarter earnings on Saturday. Buffett's company sold $10.4 billion of stock on a net basis, and spent $4.4 billion on buybacks. The famed investor's conglomerate dumped $13.3 billion of stocks, and only bought $2.9 billion worth, meaning it sold $10.4 billion of equities on a net basis. On the other hand, Buffett's company ramped up its stock buybacks. Pilot contributed $9.5 billion of revenue and $83 million of net earnings to Berkshire in the two months ending March 31.

☆ Berkshire posts $35.5 billion profit, sells over $13 billion in stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Berkshire also sped up repurchases of its own stock, buying back $4.4 billion, while paring its investments in other stocks such as Chevron Corp CVX.N, which is still a major holding. MORE CASHNet income equaled $24,377 per Class A share and rose from $5.58 billion, or $3,784 per share, a year earlier. That in part reflected a 27% jump in Apple's AAPL.O stock price, leaving Berkshire with a $151 billion stake in the iPhone maker. Quarterly operating profit increased 13% to $8.07 billion, or about $5,561 per Class A share, from $7.16 billion. Berkshire's cash hoard grew $2 billion in the quarter to $130.6 billion, as the company sold $13.3 billion of stocks and bought just $2.9 billion.

☆ Warren Buffett says Berkshire managers were surprised by economic slowdown, earnings to decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

— Warren Buffett struck a pessimistic tone about Berkshire Hathaway 's myriad of businesses on Saturday, saying he expects an earnings decline in light of an economic slowdown. Berkshire has fared well so far despite a challenging macro environment with operating earnings jumping 12.6% in the first quarter. And a number of our managers were surprised," Buffett said. The Federal Reserve just approved its 10th rate hikes since 2022, taking the fed funds rate to a target range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since August 2007. "It was more extreme in World War II, but this was extreme this time," Buffett said.

☆ Berkshire director: Buffett CEO heir an ideal fit, but changeover not imminent
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But Olson added that Abel is likely “a good number of years off” from taking over, with Buffett and Munger still on board. Buffett publicly designated him as his likely successor as CEO in 2021, after Munger appeared to let slip the board's thinking at that year's annual meeting. After Buffett departs, Berkshire is expected to name his eldest son Howard as non-executive chairman to preserve its culture, where business units operate essentially without interference from the top. Upon becoming CEO, Abel would likely experience "more formality" in his relationship with directors than Buffett, who took over in 1965, now has. "The bottom line is, not only is Warren satisfied, Charlie is satisfied that Greg ... will carry out that culture," he continued.

☆ Warren Buffett's successor Greg Abel is wooing shareholders, but some questions remain
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

To say that Warren Buffett's successor Greg Abel has big shoes to fill would be an understatement. The vice chairman for non-insurance operations at Berkshire Hathaway recently joined Buffett in Japan to visit the country's top trading houses. Skin in the gameAbel recently loaded up on Berkshire Hathaway shares with his personal assets. Berkshire acquired MidAmerican Energy in 1999, and Abel became CEO of MidAmerican Energy in 2008, six years before it was renamed Berkshire Hathaway Energy in 2014. How does dispute resolution work if there is a dispute," said a Berkshire shareholder, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

☆ Factbox: Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway at a glance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/2] Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett walks through the exhibit hall as shareholders gather to hear from the billionaire investor at Berkshire Hathaway Inc's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 4, 2019. REUTERS/Scott Morgan/File PhotoMay 4 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people are descending on Omaha, Nebraska to attend the annual shareholder weekend for billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N). Susan Buffett and Howard Buffett are Berkshire directors. His Berkshire stock will go to philanthropy after he dies. (Interview with CNBC, April 12, 2023)Abel on Berkshire managers' relationship with him: "It's not the same as working for Warren.

☆ Buffett set for 59th shareholder marathon as big questions loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett walks through the exhibit hall as shareholders gather to hear from the billionaire investor at Berkshire Hathaway Inc's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 4, 2019. Tens of thousands of people are flocking to Omaha, Nebraska this weekend for the extravaganza that Buffett, 92, calls "Woodstock for Capitalists." Buffett and Munger are due to answer five hours of shareholder questions at the meeting. "We believe in constructive engagement and dialogue, whether it's Warren Buffett or another company," Frerichs said in an interview. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in Omaha, Nebraska; Editing by Will Dunham and Megan DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Freight Train Derails in Southwestern Wisconsin
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Michael Levenson | April Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A BNSF freight train derailed on Thursday in southwestern Wisconsin, injuring four crew members and sending two containers into the Mississippi River but causing no environmental damage, officials said. BNSF said in a statement that the train derailed at about 12:15 p.m. local time near the village of De Soto, Wis., which hugs the Mississippi River, near the border of Iowa and Minnesota. Two of the three locomotives and an unknown number of cars carrying “freight of all kinds” were involved, the statement said. Two containers went into the Mississippi River, but they did not contain hazardous materials, the statement said. The materials did not pose a hazard to the public because they remained on land, he said.

☆ Warren Buffett says Norfolk Southern handled train derailment 'terribly'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Norfolk Southern botched the response to its East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment in February, an accident that spilled toxic chemicals into the environment. "I think they've handled it terribly," the Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO said Wednesday in an interview with CNBC's Becky Quick from Tokyo on "Squawk Box." Buffett, whose BNSF Railway competes with Norfolk Southern, said Norfolk was "tone deaf" for its handling of the Feb. 3 derailment in Ohio. "I don't think they're necessarily bad people for sure, but their response should not have been the same way," Buffett said. He noted that BNSF had a derailment in March that spilled diesel fuel on tribal land in Washington.

☆ Buffett: Do not panic about U.S. banks and deposits
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 12 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett said people should not be panicked about the banking industry or the safety of U.S. bank deposits, despite the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. "People shouldn't be worried about losing their money and their deposits they have in an American bank, but the message has gotten very confused," Buffett, 92, said on CNBC. Berkshire's equity portfolio includes several banks, including a $34.2 billion year-end stake in Bank of America Corp (BAC.N). Buffett says banks have "mismanaged" assets and liabilities for a long time, and "every now and then it bites them in a big way." Buffett also said he would bet $1 million that no American depositor would lose money from a bank failure in the next year.

☆ Buffett says geopolitics a factor in Berkshire sale of TSMC stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 11 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett called geopolitical tensions "a consideration" in Berkshire Hathaway Inc's (BRKa.N) decision to sell most of its stake in Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC (2330.TW) just a few months after buying it, Nikkei reported on Tuesday. Berkshire had bought more than $4.1 billion of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's shares between July and September 2022, but in February said it had sold 86% of its stake by year-end. The size of the investment suggested that Buffett, rather than one of his Berkshire portfolio managers, had bought the shares for Berkshire, and the sale was unexpected given the billionaire's preference to invest for the long-term. In an interview with Nikkei, Buffett described TSMC as a well-managed company, but said Berkshire had better places to deploy capital. Buffett was in Japan to meet with five Japanese trading houses in which Berkshire invests.

☆ How Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway can navigate the looming economic turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

First, let's check in with Warren Buffett. Warren Buffett REUTERS/Rick Wilking1. Few people would argue with you if you said Warren Buffett is the greatest investor of all time. Fewer still would challenge anyone who claimed Berkshire Hathaway was one of the most resilient companies of all time. Is there any other company or conglomerate better poised to navigate uncertainty than Berkshire Hathaway?

Search resuls for: "BNSF"

25 mentions found