Tag: Warren Buffett

Here’s How You Can Have Lunch With Warren Buffett

by Fred Fuld III

All Warren Buffett fans would like to have lunch with one of the greatest investors in the world. Would you like to have lunch with Buffett? Besides eating with Buffett, the head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) (BRKB), you get to ask him lots of questions and get his advice.

The catch is to be the successful bidder for the eBay (EBAY) auction of the Power Lunch with Warren Buffett to Benefit GLIDE. The current bid at the time this article was written is $3,500,100.00. There have been 13 bids so far and the starting bid was $25,000.

Buffett will have a meal with the winning bidder and up to seven friends at Smith & Wollensky in New York City on a mutually agreed upon date.

All of proceeds from the winning bid will benefit GLIDE, one of the leading social service institutions working to alleviate human suffering and poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area.

You have two days left to bid, as the auction closes on Friday, May 30, 2019 at 7:30 pm PT. You must be prequalified to bid.

Don’t forget to read:

How to Plan for Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting

How to Plan for Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting

by Fred Fuld III

It was just a couple weeks ago when Warren Buffett held his Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) (BRKB) Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. The attendance was huge. I understand that they expected around 30,000 attendees, but according to the local press, there were over 40,000! It was like a rock concert festival for investors.

The event was held at the CHI Health Center Omaha Convention Center and Arena. The arena part of the center, which normally hosts basketball and hockey games, was where the meeting was held and the the convention center held the exhibiters of many of the companies that Berkshire Hathaway owns.

It was a three day event starting with the Shareholder Shopping Day and Borsheims Cocktail Reception on Friday, May 3.

Then on Saturday was the all-day annual meeting, starting with a movie about some of the products and services offered by Berkshire companies. After the movie was a question and answer session with Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, which lasted all day long, other than a one hour lunch break. I don’t know how Warren and Charlie had the stamina. By two o’clock in the afternoon, I felt like taking a nap (but I didn’t).

After the Q&A, the formal meeting began and lasted about two minutes. Finally, during the evening was the Nebraska Furniture Mart’s Berkshire Picnic.

Sunday was the Berkshire Hathaway “Invest in Yourself” 5K Walk, Jog, and Run. Then the Borsheims Shopping Day took place where an entire indoor shopping center was taken over for the day and opened exclusively to Berkshire shareholders. In addition to the free food, you could watch bridge champions, a table tennis champion, a magician, and music entertainment. Finally, the dinner at Gorat’s Steakhouse.

Berkshire Boat
You could have bought this boat. Price: $165,000. Show special: $125,000

In regards to the exhibits in the convention center, attendees could visit the following:

  • Borsheims Fine Jewely
  • BNSF Railway (with a toy train moving around the exhibit) Train
  • Coca-Cola (KO)
  • Dairy Queen (lots of inexpensive ice cream)
  • FlightSafety International (which allowed attendees to try out the company’s flight simulation machines)
  • GEICO (a giant GEICO gecko was there)
  • Kraft Heinz (KHC)
  • NetJets (you could walk through the interior of a jet)
  • See’s Candies (probably the most popular exhibit)
  • and many, many more exhibitors

For those of you that want to attend next year, here are some things to keep in mind:

  1. Next year’s meeting is May 2, 2020
  2. If you don’t own shares of Berkshire, make sure you buy your shares far enough ahead of time to be on the corporate records so that you will be entitled to attend
  3. Make your reservation for a hotel room NOW. I made my reservation about a couple months before the event, and the closest hotel I could get was over half an hour away from the convention center.
  4. If you plan on taking Lyft (LYFT) or Uber (UBER) at the airport when you first arrive, plan on not getting a car for a long, long time. I suggest that you immediately stand in the taxi line, and call Lyft or Uber right after you get in line (which may take at least half an hour to get to the front for a taxi). You may be lucky and your ride hailing car may show up before you get to the front of the taxi line. Expect to pay a lot for a taxi ride, far more than Uber or Lyft.
  5. If you want to get a good seat at the meeting, plan on getting there very, very early in the morning. I arrived at 7:45 am and it was already standing room only. (Remember, this is an arena.) I finally got a seat in the afternoon up in the nosebleed section. I was talking to the guy who was sitting behind me and he said he got there at 6:15 and it was the best seat he could get. He told me that people started arriving at 3:30 and 4:00 in the morning in order to get a decent seat.
  6. Expect to got through extensive security to get in. I saw a police officer with an assault rifle.
  7. If you want to attend the Gorat’s Steakhouse dinner, make your reservation now.
  8. You will receive a form from Berkshire asking if you are planning to attend the meeting. Fill out the form and send it in immediately. (Tip: You can save a couple days by downloading the form instead of waiting for it to arrive in the mail.)
  9. Plan on meeting a lot of people from around the world and have fun.

Buffett and FredDisclosure: Author owns BRKB.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway’s Recent Investments

by Nkem Iregbulem

As the third-wealthiest person in the world, Warren Buffett is widely regarded as an investment guru. His investment philosophy is based on the concept of value investing. He is the chairman, CEO, and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, the world’s 10th largest company by revenue. As of 2018, Buffett is estimated to be worth over $80 billion. He is not only an investor but also a dedicated philanthropist. In fact, he has promised to give 99% of his fortune to charitable causes.

Due to his success, Buffett’s stock purchases are closely followed by many other investors. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway recently purchased the stocks of JP Morgan Chase (JPM), Oracle (ORCL), PNC Financial Services Group (PNC), and Travelers Companies (TRV). His company also added to its position in Bank of America (BAC) and Apple (AAPL). These stocks can all be found on the New York Stock Exchange, except for AAPL, which is traded on the NASDAQ exchange.

With more than $2.5 trillion in assets, JP Morgan Chase is one of the largest financial institutions in the United States. The company is segmented into consumer and community banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, and asset and wealth management. The company was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in New York, but it operates both within and outside of the United States. JP Morgan Chase has a market cap of $360.6B and pays a dividend yield of 2.89%. It trades at 13.70 times trailing earnings and at 11.07 times forward earnings. The stock has a price-to-sales ratio of 3.60, putting it into the overpriced range. It also has price-to-book ratio of 1.59. With its revenue growing each fiscal year since 2015, the company enjoys a 3-year revenue growth rate of 1.56% and a 5-year revenue growth rate of 0.53%.

Founded in 1977 and based in California, Oracle is a computer technology company that sells databases, middleware, applications, hardware, and other enterprise IT solutions. Most of the its revenue comes from software licenses, support, and maintenance, but the company has recently started to shift towards cloud-based subscriptions. Oracle has a market cap of $183.1B and pays a dividend yield of 1.57%. It trades at 49.21 times trailing earnings and at 14.33 times forward earnings. The stock has a price-to-sales ratio of 5.04, so it is considered overpriced. It also has a price-to-book ratio of 4.81. Oracle has a 3-year revenue growth rate of 1.38% and a 5-year revenue growth rate of 1.39% and has seen its revenue increase each fiscal year since 2016.

PNC is a financial services company involved in retail banking, corporate and institutional banking, residential mortgage banking, and asset management. With nearly 2,600 branches in 19 states and D.C., the company stands as the eight-largest bank in the United States — measured by assets. The company was founded in 1845 and is based in Pennsylvania. PNC Financial Services Group has a market cap of $61.4B and pays a dividend yield of 2.86%. The company’s stock trades at 11.17 times trailing earnings and at 11.56 times forward earnings.

It falls into the overpriced range with a price-to-sales ratio of 3.70. The stock also has a price-to-book ratio of 1.30. The company boasts a 3-year revenue growth rate of 2.03% and a 5-year revenue growth rate of 1.03%.

The Travelers Companies is an insurance company that was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in New York. The company segments its business into commercial and personal insurance lines. Under its commercial operations, it provides coverage for primarily midsize businesses. Under its personal line, the company mostly serves car and homeowners. The Travelers Companies has a market cap of $33.8B and pays a dividend yield of 2.40%. It trades at 14.33 times trailing earnings and at 11.26 times forward earnings. The company’s stock has a normal price-to-sales ratio of 1.17 and a price-to-book ratio of 1.51. The company enjoys a 3-year revenue growth rate of 2.08% and a slightly better 5-year revenue growth rate of 2.34% as its revenue has been increasing each fiscal year since 2015.

With over $2 trillion in assets, Bank of America is one of the largest and most well-known financial institutions in the United States. The company’s business operations can be segmented into consumer banking, global wealth and investment management, global markets, and global banking. Its lines of business include home mortgage lending, credit and debit cards, investment banking, brokerage services, small-business services, and many others. Headquartered in North Carolina and founded in 1998, Bank of America has a market cap of $267.5B and pays a dividend yield  of 2.19%. The stock trades at 12.98 times trailing earnings and at 9.51 times forward earnings. It has a price-to-sales ratio of 3.20, so the stock falls into the overpriced category. It also has a price-to-book ratio of 1.12. The company has a 3-year revenue growth rate of 0.56% and a 5-year revenue growth rate of 1.46%. Its revenue has been increasing each fiscal year since 2015.

Apple is a large and familiar technology company that was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in California. It designs and sells computer software, online services, and consumer electronics. Its product line of electronics include smartphones, tablets, computers, and smartwatches. The company also provides services such as Apple Music, a music streaming service, and Apple Pay, a mobile payment service. Apple has a market cap of $741.37B and pays a dividend yield of 1.87%. The stock trades at 13.12 times trailing earnings and 11.96 times forward earnings. It has a price-to-sales ratio of 2.94, making it slightly overpriced. The company’s stock also has a price-to-book ratio of 6.92. With its revenue increasing each year over the past few years, the company boasts a 3-year revenue growth rate of 4.35% and an even higher 5-year revenue growth rate of 9.22%. Most of this revenue comes from Apple’s iPhone sales.

Hopefully, one of the richest men in the world can give you some profitable investment ideas.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written. 

Can You Guess Warren Buffett’s Largest Stock Holding?

by Fred Fuld III

Warren Buffett, the head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) (BRKB), is considered to be one of the top investors,  and is probably the most well known investor in the world. In addition, Buffett is a very interesting character.

Many investors like to copy Buffett’s investments, in order to match his superior returns.

So the first thing a copycat investor would do is to check and see what stock he owns more of than any other investment.  Can you guess what that stock is?

It is Apple Inc. (AAPL), the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch company. According the Berkshire Hathaway’s latest report to the SEC, Apple makes up 21.27% of the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio, a fairly large commitment. Buffett has 239 million shares worth over $40 billion.

The second largest shareholding is Wells Fargo (WFC), making up 12.66% of the Berkshire portfolio. In third place is Bank of America (BAC) at 10.78%.

Rounding out the top five shareholdings is Kraft Heinz (KHC) representing 10.74% of the portfolio and Coca-Cola (KO) at 9.19%.

To see all the stocks owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, so to the  Buffett Stock List.

Hopefully you can ride on Buffett’s coattails to investment success.

 

Disclosure: Author owns AAPL, BRKB, and BAC.

How Would You Like to Have Lunch with Warren Buffett? Here’s How!

If you have ever wanted to have lunch with arguably the greatest investor in the world, Warren Buffett, well now you have your chance. In addition to eating with Buffett, the head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) (BRKB), you get to pick his brain about investing.

All you need to do is be the successful bidder for the eBay (EBAY) auction of the Power Lunch with Warren Buffett to Benefit GLIDE. The current bid at the time this article was written is $1,510,100.00. There have been 23 bids so far and the starting bid was $25,000.

Buffett will have a meal with the winning bidder and up to seven friends at Smith & Wollensky in New York City on a mutually agreed upon date.

All of proceeds from the winning bid will benefit GLIDE, one of the leading social service institutions working to alleviate human suffering and poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area.

You have less than four days to bid, as the auction closes on June 1, 2018 at 7:30 pm PDT. You must prequalify to bid.

Unusual Facts About Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett

Do you think you know a lot about Warren Buffett? Here is some interesting trivia about the famous and successful head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) (BRKB). Maybe you will find some interesting facts that you weren’t aware of.

1. Warren Buffett’s father was a republican congressman.

2. Warren Buffett is of Huguenot ancestry.

3. His first stock purchase was three shares of Cities Service Preferred purchased when he was eleven years old.

4. When he was fourteen years old, he filed his first tax return, which listed his watch and bicycle as a tax deduction of $35 for his paper route.

5. He was a capitalist at a very young age, not only delivering newspapers, but selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door, selling golf balls, and selling Coca-Cola.

6. He owned a chain of pinball machines in various barber shops when he was fifteen years old.

7. In his high school yearbook, under his picture, it says ‘likes math; a future stock broker.’

8. He received his B.S. in Economics from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln when he was only 19 years old.

9. He paid $31,500 for the Omaha house he lives in today (although he bought it 52 years ago).

10. He used to own a house in Laguna Beach, California.

11. Buffett attended Columbia Business School because Benjamin Graham and David Dodd taught there.

12. In 1951, he received a M.S. in Economics from Columbia Business School.

13. He made almost $10,000 by the age of 20 in 1950.

14. Buffett’s father and Benjamin Graham told him not to work on Wall Street.

15. He taught a night class at the University of Nebraska-Omaha called Investment Principals.

16. He owned a Sinclair Texaco gas station in his early 20’s.

17. His starting salary at Benjamin Graham’s company was $12,000 a year.

18. When he was 26 years old, he had $174,000 in savings.

19. He became a millionaire in 1962.

20. Buffett first bought Berkshire Hathaway stock at $7.60 per share.

21. 99% of Warren Buffet’s wealth was earned after he turned 50.

22. Warren Buffett believes gold is a bad investment with no real value.

23. Warren Buffett has only sent one email in his life — an email to Jeff Raikes from Microsoft.

24. Behind only Bill Gates, Warren Buffett has donated the second-highest amount to charity ($30.7 billion) among all of the greatest philanthropists.

25. Warren Buffett still uses an old Nokia flip phone rather than a smartphone.

26. Warren Buffett spends 80% of his days reading newspapers and books.

27. As of 2018, Warren Buffet’s net worth is $84.1 billion, which is greater than the GDP of Uruguay.

28. In 2013, Warren Buffett made on average $37 million per day.

If you like interesting trivia like this, you should get the book, Stock Market Trivia.

How to See Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Meeting Even If You Aren’t a Shareholder

Have you ever wanted to attend the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the company headed by Warren Buffett? Well now there is a way you can see the meeting, even if you aren’t a shareholder.

The Berkshire Hathaway 2018 Annual Shareholders Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 5th, through Yahoo Finance, which is the exclusive online host.

The meeting can be viewed in either English or Mandarin.

The live stream will begin at 6:45am PT, 8:45am CT, and 9:45am ET.

Business & Investment Books Now on Sale

It’s time for our periodic list of Amazon Kindle books on sale in the genres of business, investing, and entrepreneurship. If you have any interest in them, you should probably order them right away, as these sales may only last for a few days.

 

Get Smart!
By Brian Tracy
Learn how to think like the world’s most successful people, access your untapped mental ability, and realize your true potential.
$1.99 Retail: $11.99

 

The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking
By Sims Wyeth
Develop great communication skills, conquer nerves and command attention.
$1.99 $8.64

 

Warren Buffett’s Ground Rules
By Jeremy C. Miller
The strategy that led to Warren Buffett’s spectacular success. 
$2.99  Retail: $3.49

 

A Random Walk Down Wall Street
By Burton G. Malkiel
How to make Wall Street work for you.
$2.99  Retail: $9.18

 

Leadership Lessons
By Will Peters
Warren Buffett, Walt Disney, and Steve Jobs made an impact on the world. Learn the essential principles of leadership that generated their success. $1.99  Retail: $9.99

 

Top Books by Top Business Executives

If you are looking to be successful, look no further than several of the top people in their industries. Many of these individuals have written books about themselves and their successes.

These are all definitely worth reading:

The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, Fourth Edition by Warren Buffett

How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It by Mark Cuban

Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography by Richard Branson

On Success by Charles Munger

The First Billion Is the Hardest: Reflections on a Life of Comebacks and America’s Energy Future by T. Boone Pickens

Ross Perot: My Life & The Principles for Success 2nd Edition by Ross Perot

Reviving America: How Repealing Obamacare, Replacing the Tax Code and Reforming The Fed will Restore Hope and Prosperity by Steve Forbes

The Ten Roads to Riches: The Ways the Wealthy Got There (And How You Can Too!) by Ken Fisher

Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy by Bill Gates

 

Warren Buffett has Been Buying Apple

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B) just filed its latest shareholdings with the SEC a few days ago, and shows some interesting data. Buffett has added to three new positions and reduced holdings in some stocks.

Most importantly, his shareholdings in Apple (AAPL) increased by almost four million shares during the third quarter of this year. Could that be the cause of the significant boost in the stock price or just a great call on the part of Buffett? Or both? After all, he made a great call on General Electric (GE) by dumping the stock earlier in the year.

Warren Buffett has also been adding to his positions in Monsanto (MON) and Synchrony Financial (SYF).

Reductions were made in the shareholdings of a few stocks. Berkshire sold over $17 million shares of IBM (IBM). Plus, he sold some Charter Communications (CHTR) stock and shares in Wells Fargo (WFC).

Warren Buffett has an outstanding track record, so reviewing his buys and sells may be helpful to you and your portfolio.