Warren Buffett released his 2018 annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders last weekend which, of course, prompted investors and journalists to set aside their normal Saturday morning activities to analyze the Oracle’s words in great detail. Since the mid 1980s,
The Quarterly Guidance Trap Bites Apple
“In all of our communications, we try to make sure that no single shareholder gets an edge: We do not follow the usual practice of giving earnings guidance or other information of value to analysts or large shareholders. Our goal
Berkshire’s Repurchase Policy: Too Little, Too Late?
Berkshire Hathaway acquired $928 million of its own stock during the third quarter of 2018 through a series of purchases of Class A and Class B shares from August 7 to 24. A repurchase of this size, relative to the
Thoughts on Share Repurchases and Capital Allocation
The concept of share repurchases is not particularly complicated. Repurchase programs allow companies to allocate capital toward purchasing its own shares either on public marketplaces or through privately negotiated transactions. Capital allocation is one of the most important recurring functions
Book Review: University of Berkshire Hathaway
“It can’t possibly be this easy!” A first time attendee of a Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting might find it hard to believe that there could be any skeptics in the crowd. In contrast to the boring, useless, and perfunctory meetings