Berkshire is one of the biggest shareholders in Wal-Mart Stores and holds a stake in Costco Wholesale, both of which are trading near all-time highs. Lower gasoline prices could boost consumer spending this year, benefiting retailers. [...] Both jet-fuel and diesel prices have been falling, potentially reducing costs for Berkshire's luxury aviation unit, NetJets, and its trucking company, McLane. [...] Surging U.S. oil production has been a boon to Berkshire's largest subsidiary, BNSF Railway Co. The company has seen an increase in oil carloads from North Dakota's Bakken region and spent heavily to accommodate them. Some of that demand could go away if oil prices stay low for a prolonged period.
Warren Buffett's investing successors blew it in 2014 (Fortune)
Todd Combs and Ted Weschler both appear to have failed to beat the market in 2014. Combs missed the mark by the most. His portfolio appears to have fallen slightly, down 0.3%, in 2014. [...] Weschler did better. His picks rose 6.7%. Still, that wasn’t enough to best the S&P 500, which was up by just over 11%, before dividends, in 2014. (Fortune calculated the returns of Combs and Weschler before dividends as well.) It was the first year both Combs and Weschler lagged the market index since they joined Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.
Warren Buffett's Secret Stocks (Fool)
The critical distinction is that Berkshire Hathaway files what is known as a "13F Combination Report." In it is stated in plain sight that (emphasis added) "a portion of the holdings for this reporting manager are reported in this report and a portion are reported by other reporting manager(s)." In other words, what we see in the Berkshire Hathaway 13F filing are the stocks Berkshire Hathaway, owns. But another company, General Re New England Asset Management -- which is owned by Berkshire -- also files a 13F that further discloses what is included in Berkshire's stock portfolio. So what happens when we combine the holdings in the 13F's filed by Berkshire Hathaway and General Re New England Asset Management relative to what is shown in the annual report?
Brooks Breaks Tape on Momentous Year and Kicks Off 2015 with Clear Focus on Being No. 1 Choice for Runners Worldwide (BusinessWire)
For Brooks Running Company, 2014 was a year of milestones: among other noteworthy mileposts, Brooks reached half a billion dollars in annual sales, moved into a new state-of-the-art global headquarters and celebrated its 100-year anniversary. To cap it off, Brooks posted a 15 percent increase in revenue growth year-over-year driven by a 13 percent increase in U.S. footwear sales and a 32 percent increase in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) sales on a local currency basis. Additionally, Brooks Canada clocked in more than 37 percent year-over-year revenue growth since formed as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2014.
Texas-sized Furniture Mart store can fit 3 Walmart Supercenters inside (Omaha World Herald)
Ed Lipsett, store director of the massive Nebraska Furniture Mart under construction in this Dallas suburb, takes great pride in the breadth of the new store. At 560,000 square feet, it’s big enough to fit three Walmart Supercenters inside. [...] Lipsett and other marketing executives with the Omaha-based store — owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway — recently allowed reporters to take a peek inside. The two-story, $400 million store, with its attached warehouse, is about 40 percent completed and has taken two years to build. Store officials declined to reveal a precise opening date. [...] The store will anchor a $1.5 billion, 433-acre development project being built by Berkshire Hathaway. Several restaurants and hotels are also planned.
BNSF Railway Re-evaluates Plan for Safer Cars Amid Client Talks (Bloomberg)
BNSF Railway Co., the railroad owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., is reconsidering a plan to buy 5,000 oil-tank cars built to new safety standards after some customers voiced concern about the initiative. “At first everybody applauded us for doing it,” BNSF Chairman Matt Rose said today during a panel discussion in Washington on oil-by-rail safety, without specifying which concerns were raised. “We’re going to go back and talk to our customers and see what they want us to do.” [...] Rose said the company also decided to delay its purchase until regulators establish a standard. While thicker walls are warranted, speed restrictions would hurt other businesses that rely on trains to haul their products, he said.
Ajit Jain's Value To Berkshire Hathaway (Seeking Alpha)
In 1998, BH Reinsurance had a float of $4.3BN and by 2013, the float had increased to $37BN based on Ajit Jain's risk management capability and a staff of less than 50 people. Moreover, the share of BH Reinsurance as a percentage of total Berkshire's total float increased from 19% in 1998 to 48%. The other contributors to Berkshire's float include General Re, GEICO & "Other Primary".
Berkshire Hathaway Corporation and Leucadia National Corporation Appoint Justin Wheeler CEO of Berkadia (BusinessWire)
Berkshire Hathaway Corporation and Leucadia National Corporation today announced the appointment of Justin Wheeler, currently Leucadia’s Chief Operating Officer, as Chief Executive Officer of Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC. Since April 2014, Mr. Wheeler has been Berkadia’s acting CEO and, upon becoming Berkadia’s permanent CEO, Mr. Wheeler will be stepping down from his position as Leucadia’s COO. Berkadia, a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway and Leucadia, is an industry leading commercial real estate company providing comprehensive capital solutions and investment sales advisory and research services for multifamily and commercial properties.
Warren Buffett Watch: Berkshire meeting to offer anniversary book, more time for sales (Omaha World Herald)
Good news for shareholders who shop at Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s annual meeting. For the first time, the exhibition hall at the CenturyLink Center Omaha will be open for business on the Friday afternoon before the meeting, as well as during the Saturday meeting on May 2. And this year the hottest item might be a special bargain, Berkshire Chairman Warren Buffett told me: A commemorative book to mark the 50th anniversary of the day he bought the New England textile company known as Berkshire Hathaway.
7 Things You Need to Know About Berkshire Hathaway (Fool)
Millions of words have been written about Berkshire Hathaway, and most of them have been devoted to CEO Warren Buffett. This is understandable, since Berkshire is truly a product of Buffett's guiding hands over the past half-century, turning the small regional textile maker into one of the great investing stories in modern history. Berkshire is an amazing collection of companies and stocks that Buffett has acquired over the years, but there's a lot to know about this mega conglomerate. Let's consider seven things you need to know about Berkshire Hathaway. Whether you're a shareholder, considering investing, or just interested in this great company, you might be surprised by some of the things on this list.
12 of the Best Things Charlie Munger Has Ever Said (Fool)
In financial media, you see quotes from Warren Buffett everywhere, as he's well known as one of the best stock-pickers around. The words of his longtime business partner Charlie Munger, however, don't make many headlines -- and that's a shame. [...] "If you buy something because it's undervalued, then you have to think about selling it when it approaches your calculation of its intrinsic value. That's hard. But if you buy a few great companies, then you can sit on your ass. That's a good thing."
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