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☆ Evercore ISI gives Harris/Walz and Trump/Vance stock picks to trade election
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Though the S & P 500 is up more than 20% in 2024, Evercore ISI sees a patch of volatility ahead as the November presidential election approaches — and the firm has stocks to play either outcome. Evercore ISI thinks that automotive components manufacturer Aptiv could rise in the event of a Harris/Walz win. Evercore ISI called the bank "a flight to quality name," saying it was in a competitive position despite an uncertain backdrop. If Trump wins, Charter Communications is one stock that could benefit from a "potentially benign tax environment" and a pickup in M & A activity, Evercore ISI said. Supermarket operator Kroger could also outperform due to its ability to pass through higher prices to consumers, according to Evercore ISI.

Persons: —, Evercore, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Julian Emanuel, Emanuel, Harris, Walz, APTV, Colin Langan, Brian Meredith, Michael Rollins, Arun Sundaram Organizations: ISI, Democratic, Government, United, Affordable, Medicare, Wells Fargo, Smart, PNC Financial Services, Evercore ISI, PNC, UBS, Trump, Charter Communications, Citi, Kroger Locations: Wells, Regional

☆ Big stock sales from tight-lipped Berkshire Hathaway executives are saying a lot
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Top bosses at Berkshire Hathaway are usually tight-lipped about their market outlook, but recent investment actions from the executives are saying a lot. News broke earlier this week that Ajit Jain, the conglomerate's insurance chief for nearly 40 years, sold more than half of his Berkshire stake worth $139 million. That marked the biggest sale of Berkshire stock by the 73-year-old vice chairman of insurance operations since he was hired by Warren Buffett in 1986. He believes it would be "value-destroying" if he overpaid for Berkshire shares. But the magnitude of the sales could also suggest a bearish attitude toward the market and stock valuations.

Persons: Berkshire Hathaway, Ajit Jain, Warren Buffett, Jain, Ajit, Steve Check, Buffett, Brian Meredith, Meredith Organizations: Berkshire, Berkshire Class, Check Capital Management, Berkshire Hathaway, UBS, BNSF Railway, of America, Apple, Buffett, Bank of America Locations: Berkshire, Omaha, U.S

☆ Berkshire first quarter earnings price target correction
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

UBS analyst Brian Meredith's price target is nearly 22% above where the shares closed Friday. An earlier version misstated the percentage.

Persons: Brian Organizations: UBS

☆ Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway gains as insurance lifts first-quarter profit and cash nears $200 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Those moves come after Berkshire posted first-quarter operating profit of $11.22 billion, up 39% from the year-ago period, mainly driven by an increase in insurance underwriting earnings. Insurance underwriting earnings rose to $2.598 billion, a 185% increase from $911 million in the year-earlier quarter. Geico earnings swelled 174% to $1.928 billion from $703 million a year prior. Cash soared to a record $188.99 billion in the first quarter, up from $167.6 billion in the fourth quarter. "We had much-improved earnings in insurance underwriting.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Martin, Cash, Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Brian Meredith, Edward Jones, James Shanahan Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Berkshire, UBS Locations: Omaha , Nebraska, Berkshire

☆ 'Twist' in Warren Buffett's succession plan raises eyebrows among Berkshire's Omaha faithful
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

OMAHA, Nebraska — Many Berkshire Hathaway shareholders left last weekend's annual meeting pondering Warren Buffett's big revelation about succession. Others think Abel will be more likely to delegate the responsibility of stock selection. Buffett's investment lieutenants, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, have independently managed about $15 billion each for Berkshire over the past decade. In addition to Berkshire's enormous equity portfolio, its pile of cash grew to nearly $189 billion at the end of March. The new forecast would translate into more than 20% upside and push Berkshire's total market value above $1 trillion.

Persons: Warren Buffett's, Greg Abel, Buffett, Greg, Abel, Todd Combs, Ted Weschler, Buffett hasn't, Combs, Bill Stone, Charlie Munger, who's, he's, Bueffett's, Cathy Seifert, Brian Meredith, Meredith, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: OMAHA , Nebraska —, Berkshire Hathaway, Saturday, Madison Investments, CNBC, Geico, Glenview Trust, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, UBS Locations: OMAHA , Nebraska, Omaha, Berkshire, Toyama, UBS Berkshire

☆ UBS says Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway will top $1 trillion in market value in next 12 months
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is firing on all cylinders with a $1 trillion market value in sight, according to UBS. Analyst Brian Meredith hiked his 12-month price target on the Berkshire Class A shares to $715,000 from $655,000, and Class B shares to $477 from $435. BRK.A 1Y mountain Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire on Saturday reported a 28% jump in operating earnings in the fourth quarter due to huge gains in its insurance business. Meanwhile, Berkshire's reinsurance and primary insurance operations continued to look solid and benefit from the current market environment, UBS said. The conglomerate recently touched consecutive record highs, trading above $647,000 for Class A shares at its peak and boasting a market value above $900 billion.

Persons: Warren, Berkshire Hathaway, Brian Meredith, Meredith, BRK, Geico Organizations: UBS, Berkshire Class, Insurance, Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire, BNSF Locations: Omaha, Berkshire

☆ Can Buffett’s Berkshire make the $1 trillion milestone? Analysts weigh in
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Wall Street analysts have a cautious view on Berkshire Hathaway , though they praised a solid earnings report over the weekend from Warren Buffett 's conglomerate. Berkshire also said its cash rose to a record $167.6 billion, topping its prior high of $157.2 billion held in the previous quarter. Berkshire's stock initally rose in trading on Monday, with both classes hitting all-time highs intraday, and bringing the conglomerate closer to a $1 trillion valuation. BRK.A YTD mountain Berkshire Hathaway Class A However, many Wall Street analysts are wary on Berkshire, with many expecting that the stock is fairly valued as much of the strength is already priced into the stock. Berkshire's solid earnings reflected outperformance in auto insurer Geico, but the results were dinged by lower earnings in utilities and energy.

Persons: Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, FactSet, Edward Jones, James Shanahan, Keefe, Woods, Meyer Shields, Shields, Brian Meredith, CFRA's Catherine Seifert, Buffett, Michael Bloom Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Wall, UBS Locations: Berkshire, Omaha

☆ Berkshire Hathaway is trading at record highs, and UBS thinks it can rise another 15%
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Berkshire Hathaway shares reached a fresh all-time high to start off a strong 2024, and one analyst thinks the conglomerate's stock is still attractively priced and sees double digit upside. UBS analyst Brian Meredith hiked his 12-month price target for Berkshire's Class B shares to $435 from $410 previously. Secondly, the UBS analyst said Berkshire's array of different businesses remains strong. In insurance, UBS expects profit margins to improve at auto insurer Geico this year, while Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group is expected to see strong growth in premiums and improved profitability. Lastly, UBS noted that Berkshire has historically benefited, on a relative basis, from an economic slowdown.

Persons: Brian Meredith, Warren, Meredith, Buffett Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, UBS, Berkshire, BRK's Insurance, Insurance, BNSF Railway Co Locations: Berkshire, repurchases, buybacks . Berkshire, U.S, Omaha

☆ Warren Buffett has been selling stocks including Chevron and hoarding a record level of cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Thanks to a surge in bond yields, Berkshire's cash, which was mainly parked in short-term Treasury bills, grew to a record level of $157.2 billion. These lucrative government bond investments in turn boosted Berkshire's insurance empire, via so-called float. Berkshire's insurance businesses saw a profit of $2.42 billion last quarter, compared with a loss in the prior-year period. Net seller of stocks Berkshire was a net seller of publicly traded stocks in the third quarter, buying $1.7 billion worth of equities while selling nearly $7 billion. One notable move was that the conglomerate sold about $2 billion worth of Chevron shares.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Bill Stone, Greggory Warren, Brian Meredith, Meredith Organizations: Glenview Trust, Morningstar, BNSF, Chevron, Berkshire, UBS Locations: Berkshire, Omaha, Omaha , Nebraska, Knox, Glenview

☆ Berkshire Hathaway shares are still cheap even at these record levels, Wall Street analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Berkshire Hathaway shares just hit a record high on the back of strong second quarter results, but Wall Street analysts believe it's still not too late to buy Warren Buffett's conglomerate. Berkshire's Class A shares climbed as much as 3.2% Monday to hit a record high of $550,660. UBS analyst Brian Meredith said Berkshire shares still trade at an 11% discount to intrinsic value even after the earnings-triggered rally. BRK.A YTD mountain Berkshire Hathaway "We believe that the current share price represents an attractive entry point for long-term investors. KBW's Meyer Shields also raised his Berkshire target price following the holding company's earnings, lifting his objective to $565,000 from $545,000.

Persons: it's, Warren, Brian Meredith, Meredith, Edward Jones, James Shanahan, Berkshire Hathaway, Shanahan, KBW's Meyer Shields, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Investors, UBS, Berkshire, BNSF Railway Locations: Omaha, Dairy, Berkshire

☆ Berkshire shares hit all-time high as investors cheer strong earnings, Buffett's near-record cash pile
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Omaha-based giant reported Saturday that its operating earnings jumped 6.6% year over year, totaling $10.04 billion last quarter. Berkshire's Class A shares climbed 3% to hit an all-time high of $550,660 on an intraday basis, exceeding the conglomerate's previous high from March 2022. Class B shares of Warren Buffett 's conglomerate rose a similar 2.8%, on track to close at a record high. Berkshire Hathaway shares rallied to a record high Monday following a strong quarterly report that showed a rebound in insurance operations as well as a massive cash hoard that swelled to nearly $150 billion. Insurance underwriting earnings recorded a 74% increase to $1.25 billion, benefiting from higher interest rates and lower catastrophe losses.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett, he's, Bill Stone, Apple, Brian Meredith Organizations: Berkshire, Glenview Trust, Apple, UBS Locations: Omaha, Berkshire, Glenview

☆ Berkshire Hathaway stock scales record as operating profit tops $10 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Berkshire Hathaway logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 10, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidAug 7 (Reuters) - Berkshire Hathaway's (BRKa.N) stock price set a record high on Monday, rising more than 2%, after the conglomerate run by billionaire investor Warren Buffett said quarterly operating profit topped $10 billion for the first time. In morning trading, Berkshire's stock price rose $14,300, or 2.7%, to $547,900, surpassing the previous high $544,000 set on March 28, 2022. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Meyer Shields, who rates Berkshire "market perform," raised his price target to $565,000 from $545,000. In 2023, Berkshire shares have slightly trailed the index, after outpacing it in 2022.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Warren Buffett, Clayton, Brian Meredith, Keefe, Meyer Shields, Buffett, Jonathan Stempel, Chuck Mikolajczak, Lance Tupper, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Clayton Homes, Apple, Berkshire, UBS, Woods, Thomson Locations: Berkshire, New York City, U.S, Omaha , Nebraska, New York

☆ 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.

☆ Berkshire Hathaway shares rise as investors cheer earnings beat and Geico's quick turnaround
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Warren Buffett tours the grounds at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha Nebraska. Berkshire's B shares climbed 1.5% in premarket trading, set to add to their 5% gain so far this year. — Berkshire Hathaway shares rose on Monday as Warren Buffett's conglomerate wooed investors with a strong earnings report and an insightful "Woodstock for Capitalists" over the weekend. The strong performance was driven by a rebound in Berkshire's insurance business, especially auto insurer Geico. Geico's surprise recoveryGeico, the crown jewel of Berkshire's insurance empire and Buffett's favorite child, saw a big turnaround in the quarter, returning to an underwriting profit of $703 million.

☆ Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting is here: What to expect from Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Warren Buffett is set to kick off Berkshire Hathaway 's annual shareholder meeting Saturday before tens of thousands of adoring shareholders. Berkshire's annual "Woodstock for Capitalists" will be held in Omaha, Nebraska, the second straight in-person gathering after two virtual meetings during the pandemic. The question of Buffett's Activision stake is expected to come up at the annual meeting. Geico Berkshire shareholders will also be eager to learn more about what's next for auto insurer Geico , the crown jewel of Berkshire's insurance empire and Buffett's "favorite child." ESG issues There are a few ESG-related shareholder proposals being put to a vote at the annual meeting, including requiring Berkshire to publish an annual assessment of climate-related risks and publish data on its workforce composition by gender, race, and ethnicity.

☆ UBS says Berkshire Hathaway is still an attractive play after earnings miss, sees 20% gain ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BRK.A 1Y mountain Berkshire Hathaway Still, UBS is bullish on Omaha-based Berkshire for several reasons. Berkshire's insurance and other businesses held cash, cash equivalents and U.S. Treasury Bills of $125 billion at the end of 2022, which included some $95 billion in U.S. Treasury Bills. Some of the short-term Treasury bills are now yielding 5% and more. Finally, UBS said Berkshire shares remain attractively valued, trading at a level where Buffett has historically bought back shares. Berkshire used $2.855 billion to buy back shares in the fourth quarter, bringing the 2022 total to nearly $8 billion.

☆ Warren Buffett's Berkshire has beaten the market in past recessions, making it a 2023 defensive play
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

With a massive cash pile and diversified businesses, Warren Buffett 's Berkshire Hathaway has a track record of outperforming the market during economic downturns, according to UBS. It showed Berkshire shares outperforming the S & P 500 and other financials. The analyst also called Berkshire "a defensive play in an uncertain economic outlook." Berkshire agreed to buy insurance company Alleghany for $11.6 billion, or $848.02 per share, in cash, inking Buffett's biggest deal since 2016. Berkshire shares are now trading at a 20% discount to the conglomerate's intrinsic value , which may prompt the "Oracle of Omaha" to buy back more of his stock, UBS said.

☆ Berkshire stock is trading at 20% discount, a level where Buffett typically ramps up buyback, UBS says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway are now trading at a significant discount to the conglomerate's intrinsic value, which may prompt the "Oracle of Omaha" to buy back more of his stock, according to UBS. "BRK's shares are trading at more than a 20% discount to its intrinsic value based on the methodology outlined in BRK's 2018 Annual Letter to Shareholders," UBS' Berkshire analyst Brian Meredith said in a note. The conglomerate's stock held up well in 2022 with a 4% gain as investors favored more stable pockets of the market. The fifth grove of Berkshire is its insurance operations, which are not included in the calculation. Meanwhile, Berkshire suffered a $63.9 billion loss on its investments last year through September amid the broader market selloff.

☆ Warren Buffett's stock shopping spree slows down even during market's big pullback. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-08 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Warren Buffett's stock-buying spree slowed down drastically in the second quarter even during the market's big correction, and analysts said the "Oracle of Omaha" could be preserving capital for other uses. Berkshire Hathaway 's net stock purchase fell to $3.8 billion in the second quarter, compared with more than $41 billion in the first quarter, the conglomerate's quarterly reports showed. Berkshire Hathaway Energy? Berkshire now owns 92% of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, with the rest belonging to the family of the late billionaire philanthropist Walter Scott who passed away last September at age 90. The bulk of the losses were within Berkshire's largest positions, including Apple ($34 billion loss on Berkshire's position during the second quarter), Bank of America ($10 billion loss) and American Express ($7 billion loss).

☆ Berkshire Hathaway's stock has gotten a lot cheaper since Warren Buffett's buyback binge
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-19 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A combination of factors have made Berkshire's stock cheaper. Besides the recent pullback in share prices, Berkshire's various assets have increased in value drastically in recent years, compressing the multiple of the stock. Record buybacks Warren Buffett has supported Berkshire's stock through an aggressive and consistent buyback program over the past few years. Slowdown began In the first quarter, however, Berkshire's stock buybacks slowed down to $3.2 billion from $6.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021 as share prices skyrocketed to a record high. Buffett himself told shareholders at its annual meeting this year that he would prefer acquiring stakes in other companies to share repurchases.

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