A battery, solar-panel, and automobile maker made famous by a certain Omaha-based oracle, BYD COMPANY LTD ADR (OTCMKTS:BYDDY) has seen its fair share of peaks and troughs. The company, 10 % owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) (NYSE:BRK.B) subsidiary Mid-American, was flying high a few years ago on the back of its genius founder, who was pushing the limits of electric vehicles well before Elon Musk got headlines. Subsequent years saw plummeting sales and tremendous competition in its non-vehicle businesses. Now the company has seen sales stabilize in the first half of the year, but warns of more stormy weather ahead. Is BYD a dream or a nightmare?
Recap
For those unfamiliar, BYD COMPANY LTD ADR (OTCMKTS:BYDDY) — which stands for Build Your Dreams — is a Chinese battery and electric vehicle manufacturer, among other lines of business. The company is run by a man Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) bigwig Charlie Munger once described as “a cross between Edison and Jack Welch,” Wang Chuan-Fu. Wang caught the world’s attention with Warren Buffett’s endorsement, and antics such as disassembling a Toyota seat , mid-travel, to better understand its mechanics.
It’s been a slow, topsy-turvy path to recovery since 2010, when the company faced quality issues, including one incendiary taxi incident, as well as competition in other lines of business such as cell phone batteries and photovoltaic panels. Though they were responsible for half of its car revenue in the first half of this year, the company plans to phase out its gasoline vehicles in favor of electric vehicles, prompting some to consider BYD COMPANY LTD ADR (OTCMKTS:BYDDY) the Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) of China.
Still, shares plummeted on a tepid outlook for the remainder of the year. Is BYD COMPANY LTD ADR (OTCMKTS:BYDDY) bound for perennial mishaps, or is this a Tesla waiting to happen?
Looking ahead
For Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A), BYD COMPANY LTD ADR (OTCMKTS:BYDDY) has already proved to be a fantastic investment. Buffett made his stock purchases in the $2 per share range, and hasn’t sold any of Mid-American’s stake to date. Though it’s far outside the Oracle’s wheelhouse, BYD appears to remain a convincing long-run investment for Berkshire Hathaway.
BYD COMPANY LTD ADR (OTCMKTS:BYDDY)’s K9 electric buses are snapping up contracts around the world, from Canada to Amsterdam . The company provides a tremendous number of taxis to markets such as Shanghai and Hong Kong, and looks to expand in coming years.
Management guided down for the rest of 2013, sending shares down by double digits in Monday’s trading. Third-quarter profit is expected to be less than half a million U.S. dollars, and management believes its ongoing recovery will be delayed by the weak sales season.
Overall, though, this is a long-term buy and look away stock, for those interested. BYD COMPANY LTD ADR (OTCMKTS:BYDDY) has been and will remain exceptionally volatile. Short-term fluctuations will keep things choppy for the foreseeable future. A prospective investor should view this as a long-term hold. Wang Chuan-Fu is dedicated to creating, “a zero-carbon and zero-emission eco-environmental system” with his automobiles, batteries, and solar panels. The company has improved substantially from its previous troubles, but it still has a long way to go.
BYD COMPANY LTD ADR (OTCMKTS:BYDDY) trades at a far more reasonable valuation when compared to the likes of Tesla, and has a more diversified line of business. While Tesla’s stock price assumes everything will go peachy-keen for Musk and Co., BYD’s valuation is more realistic, reflecting the issues still facing widespread electric vehicle adoption. For a well-priced entry into the world of zero-emission vehicles, BYD remains an appealing, Buffett-endorsed pick.
The article Buffett’s Electric-Car Maker Is Still on Sale originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Michael Lewis owns shares of BYD. The Motley Fool recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway and Tesla Motors.
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