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☆ Expecting more sell-offs? These low-volatility fortresses can defend your portfolio and grow
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tuesday's inflation data sent the broader market reeling, making stable stocks more attractive for investors worried about further losses. Because of this, CNBC Pro screened for low-volatility, fortress-like names that can perform well if the drawdown continues. She pointed to growth of a media business as something that could help Costco win market share and create a better margin profile. While more than three out of every five analysts polled by FactSet has a buy rating on the stock, the typical price target reflects shares pulling back by 1.5%. The average price target reflects the likelihood for more rallying ahead with an upside of nearly 15%.

Persons: Strong, Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, Tesla, Richard Galanti, Gary Millerchip, Goldman Sachs, Kate McShane, McShane, FactSet, Ben Reitzes Organizations: Federal Reserve, Treasury, CNBC Pro, Berkshire, Berkshire Hathaway, Costco, Kroger, Microsoft, Big Technology, Melius

☆ 45 American families are worth more than $10 billion — and the wealthiest one is even richer than Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Forbes found that there are 45 American families with fortunes exceeding $10 billion. The Walmart founder Sam Walton's heirs are richer than Elon Musk, with a $267 billion fortune. AdvertisementThere are 45 American families worth at least $10 billion, and the richest one is wealthier than Elon Musk, Forbes says. Forbes estimates the 45 superrich families are collectively worth about $1.3 trillion, or roughly 10 times Warren Buffett's personal fortune. The descendants of John D. Rockefeller — the nation's richest man in his prime — barely made Forbes' list, with a $10.3 billion fortune.

Persons: Forbes, Sam Walton's, Elon Musk, Koch, Lauder, Pritzker, Rockefeller, —, Warren, Hearst, John D, MacMillan, Campbell, Brown, Forman, Jack Daniel's, Busch, Haslam, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, it's Organizations: Walmart, Elon, Service, Forbes, SpaceX, Marriott, Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Getty, Cargill, Hyatt Hotels, Anheuser, Busch, InBev, Centers, Warren Locations: Marriott, Hearst

☆ Berkshire Hathaway topped $600,000 a share last week, aiming at $1 trillion market value
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The swift rally has pushed Berkshire's market cap above $863 billion as of Friday's close, making it the seventh most valuable company in the U.S. Road to 600k It took Berkshire Class A shares about two years to go from $500,000 to $600,000. In terms of market cap weighting and earnings contribution to the S & P 500, Berkshire is now the best candidate to join the crowd, Strategas said. High price tag Berkshire's original Class A shares carry one of the highest price tags on Wall Street . Berkshire's Class B shares have gained more than 11% this year and also hit an intraday record of $399.15 earlier this week.

Persons: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Tesla, Tesla —, Eli Lilly, Strategas, Buffett, Ben Graham Organizations: U.S, BNSF Railway, Geico Insurance, U.S ., PetroChina, Alleghany, Occidental Petroleum, Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, Strategas Securities, Broadcom Locations: Warren Buffett's, U.S, Omaha, Berkshire, Saudi Aramco

☆ Spring homebuying and selling season just kicked off. Are you ready?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

So if you’re planning to be in the market this year, here’s what to expect this spring — and how to be ready to pounce. Don’t wait for better prices or ratesLast year was the least affordable housing market since the 1980’s as mortgage rates spiked to 23-year highs at the end of October. But a slightly brighter season is dawning this spring. This spring is offering a bit of rate and price stability said Betty Jans, an Annapolis, Maryland-based real estate agent. “If you wait, and all of the sudden we have a little dip in rates, you’re going to be competing with everyone else that wants to buy then, too,” Jans said.

Persons: it’s, Fannie Mae, Betty Jans, Tiffany Hagler, homebuyers, ”, Jans, Berkshire Hathaway, PenFed, ” Jans, “, Mike Mravca, Mravca, ” Mravca, “ I’ve, Hillary Nash, Nash, “ It’s, you’re Organizations: Washington CNN, NFL, Super, Geard, Bloomberg, Getty, Berkshire, Taylor Properties, NAR, District of Columbia, of Housing, Urban Development, National Housing Conference Locations: Annapolis , Maryland, Larchmont , New York, Virginia , Maryland, Delaware, Washington, Washington , DC, Maryland, Virginia

☆ These are the most overbought stocks due for a pullback during S&P's run to 5,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Stocks have raced ahead this year, with the S & P 500 trading above the historic 5,000 level. Stocks that have a 14-day RSI greater than 70 are considered to be overbought, meaning they could be at risk of a pullback. Several firms, from Deutsche Bank to Bank of America, walked away from the company's earnings release even more encouraged about its future. On average, analysts have a $111.38 price target on Disney, indicating less than 1% upside from the entertainment giant's last close. Other overbought companies in the S & P 500 are Boston Scientific and Ralph Lauren , which saw shares reach a 9-year high on the company's earnings beat this week.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Morgan Stanley, Eli Lilly's, Wells, Mohit Bansal, LLY, Walt Disney, Berkshire Hathaway, Nelson Peltz, Ralph Lauren Organizations: Nvidia, Dow Jones, CNBC, Stock, Deutsche Bank to Bank of America, Berkshire, Disney, Epic Games, ESPN, Boston Scientific Locations: Zepbound, Fortnite

☆ ‘One Day’ Is Back. This Time, It’s Longer.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Precious Adesina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For the British author David Nicholls, the key to a good romantic story is avoiding the clichés. “The first kiss, the first night together, the wedding day. There are all these landmarks which are quite familiar and quite obvious,” he said recently. Instead, his 2009 novel “One Day” follows its two protagonists, Emma and Dexter, on the same day each year for two decades, as they weave in and out of each other’s lives as friends, partners and everything in between. What has happened on the previous 364 days is revealed slowly and indirectly, with many key moments left to the reader’s imagination.

Persons: David Nicholls, “, ”, Emma, Dexter, Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Nicole Taylor Organizations: Netflix Locations: British, Scottish

☆ ‘One Day’ stars Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall didn’t have to work hard on their chemistry
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Sandy Thin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“Every episode kind of felt standalone,” Mod explained to CNN. (Full disclosure: I attended university with Mod, where we became friends.) Mod (left) and Woodall (right) filmed on location in Greece, Paris, Edinburgh and London for "One Day." Courtesy NetflixLike Emma, Mod also studied English at university, only to spend her early twenties in jobs she didn’t really want. "One Day" is the first time either Mod or Woodall have played the lead in a TV show, after both had breakout supporting roles in 2022.

Persons: ” Emma Morley, Dexter Mayhew, ” David Nicholls ’, Dexter glibly, Emma, Ambika, Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Dexter, Swithins, “, Andrew Shires, Megan, Woodall, Mod, ”, I’ve, Leo Woodall, Jack, Tom Hollander’s, ” Woodall Organizations: CNN, BBC, Edinburgh Fringe, Durham Revue, Netflix Locations: St, Greece, Paris, Edinburgh, London, Yorkshire, Wolverhampton

☆ Gen Z is bringing the 'office siren' aesthetic to corporate settings, but some say the trend isn't practical for work
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The "office siren" corporate aesthetic is taking over TikTok, but it isn't necessarily new. It blends high-fashion corporate looks with '90s and 2000s vintage charm — fitting for Gen Z, which can't get enough of the Y2K era. The office siren look is bold red lips, pencil skirts, stilettos, turtlenecks, chunky jewelry, and tons of neutrals and blacks. She said the office siren aesthetic began taking off around the same time, coincidentally when she decided to post her outfits that aligned with the trend. "The office siren look is something that largely started in the office," Dwyer said.

Persons: Rachel Green, —, Elisabeth Kassab, STYLISTCHECK, TikTokers, Miu Miu, Julia Quang, Quang, you'll, Wears, Styles, Erika Dwyer, Dwyer, Anne Hathaway, Gisele Bündchen's, Rachel Varney, StyledbyRachel, Jennifer Aniston, Joan Clayton, Kate Moss, Calvin Klein, Getty Varney, Varney, she's, Ron Galella, Jan Jarecki Organizations: Service, BI, Fox, Bank, Getty Images, Penske Media, Getty

It's a story increasingly familiar in the energy industry: Some utility companies don't properly assess the risks wildfires pose to their operations. The primary purpose is to prevent power lines from igniting a wildfire during periods of high fire danger. The lawsuit also alleges the company "inexcusably kept their power lines energized during the forecasted high-fire danger conditions." A PG&E utility worker locates a gas main line in the rubble of a home burned down by wildfire in Paradise, California, Nov. 13, 2018. Several of those agencies track statewide wildfire information, but most did not keep track of the names of utility companies associated with wildfire incidents.

Persons: Michelle Glogovac, Glogovac, Laurie Allen, Brent Jones, Allen, Jones, inexcusably, Michael Wara, Shelee Kimura, Yuki Iwamura, David Pomerantz, Pomerantz, Patti Poppe, It's, JOSH EDELSON, Warren Buffett's, Stanford's, CNBC's Brian Sullivan, David Paul Morris, Institute's Pomerantz, Tama Organizations: CNBC, Electric, Energy, Stanford University, Hawaiian Electric, AFP, Getty, Policy, Policy Institute, NV Energy, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Bloomberg, Getty Images Locations: Paradise , California, Lahaina , Hawaii, Hawaii, Maui, Maui County, Lahaina, California, Nevada, Warren, — Arizona, California , Colorado, Hawaii , Montana , Nevada , New Mexico , Oregon , Utah, Washington, Arizona , New Mexico, Utah

☆ Three stocks stocks that could replace Tesla in the Magnificent 7
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Now some on Wall Street believe Tesla no longer deserves to be among the coveted " Magnificent 7 ," and are suggesting alternatives that could replace Elon Musk's company. "The Magnificent 7 now looks more like the Magnificent 6 as Tesla falls from the crowd," billionaire investor Leon Cooperman , CEO of the Omega Family Office, said on CNBC's " Squawk Box " Tuesday. Meanwhile, there are now 29 companies that contributed more to S & P 500 earnings than Tesla, according to Strategas Securities. The research firm identified three companies with both market cap weighting and earnings contributions (for the next 12 months) larger than Tesla — Berkshire Hathaway , Broadcom and Eli Lilly . "Berkshire spent last year fliting with the top seven, but Broadcom and Lilly have steadily gained share," Strategas said in a note.

Persons: Tesla, Elon, Leon Cooperman, Berkshire, Eli Lilly, Lilly, Strategas, Warren, Eli Lilly's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Elon Musk's, Omega, Strategas Securities, Berkshire Hathaway, Broadcom, Berkshire, JPMorgan Locations: Warren Buffett's Berkshire

☆ Japanese stocks can soar 50%, says advisor — and investors can cash in with these ETFs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Nikkei 225 index , one of Japan's most important stock market benchmarks, could surge more than 50% over the next two years, according to Tokyo-based advisor Jasper Koll. The Nikkei 225 currently stands at just over 36,000 points, meaning Koll's target represents a potential upside of around 50% in the next two years. Hong Kong investors have the CSOP Nikkei 225 Index ETF available. This ETF tracks the MSCI Japan index, which is a different index from the Nikkei 225 but holds about 70% of the same stocks. European, UAE, and Singapore-based investors can access the MSCI Japan index through the iShares MSCI Japan UCITS ETF.

Persons: Jasper Koll, Monex, Koll, CNBC's, JP Morgan Japan, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Organizations: Nikkei, JP Morgan, Berkshire, KIM, Japan, Japan Hedged Equity Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Berkshire, that's, Swiss, Hong Kong, U.S, UAE, Singapore

☆ Jeff Bezos is just $8 billion away from overtaking Elon Musk to become the world's wealthiest person once more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jeff Bezos is not far off overtaking Elon Musk to become the world's richest person once more. AdvertisementJeff Bezos is only about $8 billion away from overtaking Elon Musk as the world's wealthiest person following a surge in Amazon stock — and a slump for Tesla — this year. Meanwhile, Musk holds about 411 million Tesla shares, or a roughly 13% stake in the automaker, worth about $76 billion. It's certainly striking that Musk's net worth has crashed from about $340 billion at its peak in late 2021 to about $200 billion today. However, Tesla stock is still up more than six-fold since the start of 2020, while Amazon shares have less than doubled.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, —, Tesla, Bezos, Musk, Mark Zuckerberg's, Buffett, Larry Ellison, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Brin Organizations: Elon, Bloomberg, Service, Tesla, Amazon, SpaceX, Twitter, Big Tech, Meta, Berkshire Hathaway Locations: Delaware, Berkshire

☆ Paramount, even with a takeover offer, may still prove a rare losing bet for Berkshire Hathaway
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Paramount Global shares got a boost last week after reports of a potential takeover offer , but the media company could still prove a rare losing bet for Berkshire Hathaway , its biggest institutional investor. The media company's Class B shares climbed almost 5% last week to close Friday at $14.43 as investors cheered billionaire media mogul Byron Allen's $14.3 billion buyout bid. Allen Media Group offered $21.53 for each Class B nonvoting share of Paramount, about 50% above the 90-day average price. The Omaha-based conglomerate owns 93.7 million shares of Paramount nonvoting Class B stock, or a 15.4% stake, according to FactSet. It may have been the case that Berkshire was betting on Paramount being an acquisition target.

Persons: Berkshire Hathaway, Byron Allen's, Buffett, You've, Shari Redstone, Don Bilson, Gordon Haskett, Allen Organizations: Paramount Global, Berkshire, Allen Media Group, Paramount, Paramount nonvoting, Oracle, CBS, Showtime, Nickelodeon, Skydance Media, Warner Bros . Locations: Omaha

☆ Why Shari Redstone is trying to sell Paramount — and why she needs the right deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

When Redstone's father, Sumner Redstone, the founder of National Amusements, died in 2020, Shari Redstone inherited his shares. Paramount Global has a market capitalization of nearly $10 billion and about $13 billion of net debt. If she agrees to sell either National Amusements or all of Paramount Global, she'll need buy in from other investors. Talks are further along with Redstone regarding NAI than they are with Paramount Global, two of the people said. Paramount Global charges $5.99 per month for Paramount+ with advertising.

Persons: Shari Redstone, Mike Blake, it's, David Ellison, Byron Allen, SpongeBob, I'm, National Amusements Shari Redstone, Brendan Mcdermid, Redstone's, Sumner Redstone, Shari, John Malone, Bob Bakish, It's, Banker Byron Trott, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Skydance, Spokespeople, There's, CNBC's David Faber, Bakish, Jim Cramer Organizations: National Amusements, WSJ Tech, Reuters Paramount Global, Paramount, Paramount Global, Skydance Media, Paramount Pictures, CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Hollywood, Allen, Co, Sun, Reuters, Amusements Inc, National, Warner Bros, Discovery, CNBC, Comcast, NBCUniversal, Paramount Global's, Amusements, U.S, Disney, Charter, CNBC Paramount Global, Viacom Locations: Laguna Beach , California, Israel, Sun Valley , Idaho, Wells Fargo, America, Berkshire, NAI, Skydance, U.S

☆ Why Meta's shiny new dividend and whopping $50 billion buyback plan may divide investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta declared its first dividend and another $50 billion in approved buybacks. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementMeta announced its first dividend and another $50 billion of authorized stock buybacks in its fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday. The social-media giant is clearly eager to reward its shareholders, but its latest moves could divide investors. Meta's new dividend and large-scale buybacks are intended to show it values its shareholders and wants to reward them.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, Warren Buffett, —, Susan Li, Nigel Green, Tesla, Instagram, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway doesn't, allocator, Buffett, Zuckerberg, Apple's buybacks, Kraft Heinz Organizations: Service, Meta, Reality Labs, Facebook, Warren, buybacks, Chevron, Kraft

☆ Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is an epic turnaround story — and its latest deal looks a winner, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is the result of an incredible turnaround, Jacob McDonough said. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe rise of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is a remarkable turnaround story, a chronicler of the company's early days said. He was referring to Diversified Retailing, Blue Chip Stamps, and Berkshire, which was a textile company when Buffett acquired it in 1965. They shuttered Berkshire's floundering textile business in 1985.

Persons: Warren, Berkshire Hathaway, Jacob McDonough, —, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Chip Stamps, Buffett, Charlie Munger, Munger, McDonough, Kraft Heinz, Bryan Metzger, Pilot McDonough, Berkshire's Organizations: Berkshire, Service, England Textile, Chip, Apple, Travel Centers, Nike, Coke, Netflix, McDonough Investments Locations: Warren, Berkshire, England, Windsor Heights , Iowa

☆ 'I will bleed Goldman Sachs forever': Wall Street banker Jim Esposito tells GS partners why now is the time to step down — and reflects on brushes with everyone from 'Buffett to Beckham'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Reed Alexander | Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Goldman Sachs on Monday said that Jim Esposito, one of the bank's three co-heads of global banking and markets and a potential CEO contender, would be stepping down . He said he's developed a sense of restlessness and suggested he's leaving because he's eager for a change of pace. Goldman Sachs is one of the most powerful investment bank on Wall Street and its leaders often go on to do great things, including heading up firms or taking on leading roles in government. "As the pace of innovation accelerates at a mind blowing speed, there's a strong pull to explore new adventures," Esposito wrote, concluding later: "Keep winning as our results will always define us. I will bleed Goldman Sachs forever."

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Jim Esposito, he's, I've, Esposito, Buffett, Beckham, Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, David Beckham, Goldman's Organizations: Business

☆ Facebook is turning 20. Now Mark Zuckerberg is figuring out what comes next for Meta.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewMark Zuckerberg has been steering the ship since he cofounded Facebook almost 20 years ago. Unlike some of the other founding fathers of major tech firms, the Meta CEO has not yet handed over the reins to someone else. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Meta didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Larry Page, Zuckerberg, Josh Edelson, Linette Lopez, Andrew Bosworth, it's, It's, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett Organizations: Service, Facebook, Business, Meta, Getty, Bloomberg, Reality Labs, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway Locations: AFP, Berkshire

☆ Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway keeps buying Liberty's SiriusXM tracking shares. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Berkshire Hathaway continued to buy Liberty Media's tracking stock for New York-based satellite radio company SiriusXM in a likely merger arbitrage play. Billionaire John Malone's media conglomerate currently owns 84% of Sirius XM and has two tracking stocks that represent that stake in the streaming satellite music service — Liberty Media Corp. Series A shares, or LSXMA , and Liberty Media Corp. Series C shares, or LSXMK . Under the terms of the deal, expected to close early in the third quarter, each Liberty Media Sirius tracking share will be exchanged for 8.4 "new" SIRI shares, while "old" SIRI shareholders would receive new shares in a one-for-one exchange. Berkshire loading up In the past week, Warren Buffett's conglomerate added 438,945 shares of LSXMA and 1 million shares of LSXMK for nearly $45 million combined, according to regulatory filings . Berkshire first bought LSXMK in 2016 and now owns almost 22% of the tracking stock, according to FactSet.

Persons: Berkshire Hathaway, John, SIRI, Warren, Buffett, Ted Weschler, Todd Combs, Seth Klarman's Baupost, SIRI overvalued, Wells, Steven Cahall, Cahall, Jason Bazinet, Charlie Munger, Charlie, hasn't Organizations: Berkshire, Liberty, Sirius XM, — Liberty Media Corp, Liberty Media Corp, Nasdaq, Liberty Media, Liberty Media Sirius, Sirius XM Holdings, Sirius, Citigroup, Activision Blizzard, British Columbia Power, Monsanto, Bayer AG, IBM Locations: New York, Berkshire, LSXMA, LSXMK, Omaha

☆ These energy stocks may rally after U.S. crude oil prices rose above a key level this week
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Occidental Petroleum and Diamondback Energy may be poised to rally after U.S. crude oil prices broke above a key resistance level on Friday, according to the chief market strategist at Miller Tabak. "That paves the way for higher prices," said Bob Yawger, managing director and energy futures strategist at Mizuho Americas. "If crude oil rolls back over, breaks below that level — that's going to tell you that I'm wrong. "And that tells me that if he's buying a stock that's highly leveraged to the price of oil, he believes oil prices are going higher." Just on Friday, Houthi militants claimed responsibility for a missile attack on an oil tanker, while a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian fuel terminal on the Baltic Sea helped push oil prices higher earlier in the week.

Persons: Miller Tabak, Miller, Matt Maley, Bob Yawger, Yawger, WTI, Maley, It's, Diamondback, Buffett, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Friday's, Houthi Organizations: Occidental Petroleum, Diamondback Energy, West Texas, CNBC, Mizuho Americas, Occidental, Diamondback, United States Oil ETF, Berkshire, Wall Street Locations: Miller Tabak ., China, Occidental, Occidental's, Houston, FactSet, U.S, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Baltic

☆ Quality stocks are dominating the market, up 25% in the past year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Among the most broadly played investment "factors" — including value, momentum, low volatility, dividend yield — quality has dominated the market, the representative iShares MSCI USA Quality ETF (QUAL) up 25% in the past year, compared to 13% for S & P 500 value and less than 5% for the equal-weighted S & P 500. Even within industry sectors, the stocks with higher quality scores have sped ahead ( Costco in retail, WW Grainger in industrials, etc.). The quality label is based on strong balance sheets, high and steady profit margins, consistency of earnings growth and the like. Sure, there are multi-year secular growth stories animating the AI innovators and weight-loss-drug developers, but most quality stocks stand out for steadiness. Any give-back of the leading quality growth names wouldn't be easily absorbed by the broader market.

Persons: iShares, WW Grainger, Berkshire Hathaway, Goldman Sachs, FactSet, Michael Gates, Ed Yardeni, it's, Jerome Powell Organizations: Costco, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Visa, Mastercard, Nike, Bank of America, Citi, Invest, BlackRock's, Yardeni Research Locations: industrials, Berkshire

☆ 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

☆ This North American country is the safest for travelers in 2024—and it's not the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The post-pandemic era set off the rise of "travel experiences" with more and more people wanting unique adventures and to explore places off the beaten path. Travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection recently released its ninth-annual State of Travel Insurance report which ranks the safest countries in the world for travelers. BHTP surveyed 1,702 people and used data from the Global Peace Index and the State Department's travel safety ratings to evaluate safety concerns like health measures, terrorism, weather emergencies and the safety of underrepresented groups. It's important to note the report states that despite the ranking, it doesn't mean every part of the country is safe, nor does it account for potential natural disasters.

Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway Travel, of Travel Insurance, State

☆ How to become a billionaire
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Henry Blodget | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But, according to one friendly billionaire, Mark Cuban, there's no downside to being one. But by far the most common way to become a billionaire in the US is to make tons of money. If that were Brady's only income, and he saved all of it, it would still take him 50 years to become a billionaire. Others are shares of partnerships (hedge funds or private-equity funds, for example) or licensing agreements (like billionaire Michael Jordan's deal with Nike). Mark Cuban also recently said that becoming a billionaire is all about luck.

Persons: —, Mark Cuban, year's, Forbes, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan's, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Luck, it's Organizations: Service, Business, year's Forbes, Forbes, NFL, Nike, Berkshire, Microsoft, Oracle, Google, Facebook, Bloomberg, Berkshire Hathaway, Amazon, Walmart Locations: Berkshire, America, Norway, Dell

☆ Top analyst Mike Mayo turns bullish on Citigroup with Warren Buffett as an influential investor
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Widely followed bank analyst Mike Mayo named Citigroup his top pick, saying he realized the embattled bank is under the influence of none other than Warren Buffett. "Until now, it was unclear to us and many investors whether this Citi stake was really a 'Warren Buffett investment' vs. somebody else at his firm. Earlier this month, Citigroup cut 10% of its workforce in a bid to boost the bank's results and stock price. C 1Y mountain Citigroup Mayo said Buffett seems to support his belief that Citigroup's overhaul could make a significant difference this time around. "Warren Buffett supports the CEO's restructuring.

Persons: Mike Mayo, Warren Buffett, Wells Fargo's Mayo, Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Jane Fraser, Omaha hasn't, Mayo, Goldman Sachs, Brian Moynihan, Fraser, couldn't, Citigroup Mayo Organizations: Citigroup, Reuters, Berkshire, Citi, U.S . Bancorp, JPMorgan, Bank of America, Apple, CNBC, U.S Locations: Omaha, Mayo, Berkshire, Wells Fargo, Bank

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