Warren Buffett leans in and goes social (CNN)
Warren Buffett is going social. This Thursday at noon EST, before he commences Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A)’s annual meeting weekend, the billionaire investor will sit down for his first-ever interview that incorporates social media. The topic is new for him too: “Warren Buffett on Women and Work…and other Wisdom.” The billionaire investor is doing the Fortune live video chat to promote “Warren Buffett is Bullish on…Women,” his essay that will be published online this Thursday morning and in the 2013 Fortune 500 issue May 6. Buffett is no stranger to women — he’s an honorary guest and interview subject each year at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit. But he had never written about women. He feels motivated now, he says, by the buzz around women and work – thanks to Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) COO Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) CEO Marissa Mayer’s HR policies.
Warren Buffett’s Analogy About About Boobs And Porn Shop Operators Is Just Brilliant (BusinessInsider)
Warren Buffett, the billionaire investing legend from Nebraska, has a way of explaining complicated finance topics so that they’re fun and understandable. Carleton English of Belus Capital Advisors points us to this gem of a quote from 2008 where he takes a jab at private equity. Someone asked the Oracle of Omaha why people sell their companies to him instead of private equity firms. “You can sell it to Berkshire, and we’ll put it in the Metropolitan Museum; it’ll have a wing all by itself; it’ll be there forever. Or you can sell it to some porn shop operator, and he’ll take the painting and he’ll make the boobs a little bigger and he’ll stick it up in the window, and some other guy will come along in a raincoat, and he’ll buy it.”
IBM Buyback Proves Warren Buffett’s Math (CNBC)
International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) shares are virtually unchanged from when Warren Buffett outlined in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A)’s 2011 shareholder letter why he wouldn’t mind a flat share price over five years. International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM)’s announcement Tuesday that it will increase its quarterly dividend by 12 percent to 95 cents and authorize an additional $5 billion in share buybacks proves Buffett’s opinion, even if the “Oracle of Omaha’s” comments in the Feb. 25, 2012 shareholder letter raised some investor eyebrows. Buffett’s point to investors was share buybacks at a reasonable price can add significant value for long-term shareholders like Berkshire Hathaway.
BYD Builds in the U.S., Turns a Corner (Fool)
Warren Buffett’s Chinese automaker, BYD (BYDDY.PK) has been the subject of much criticism over the past couple of years as profits have dropped about as much as possible, only a short time after Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) announced its 10% stake in the company. Many investors have gone as far as to say this was outside of Buffett’s wheelhouse and that the investment may be one of his worst. Though I am inclined to disagree, it is difficult to argue with the tremendous loss in value for the beleaguered auto company. This week, however, brought new and interesting news to light. The company is in talks with the U.S. government to provide electric buses to cities, subsidized by Uncle Sam. Could this be a catalyst to set the company back on track toward growth?
4 Companies Warren Buffett Could Buy (Fool)
Picking stocks is not Warren Buffett’s most impressive skill. Despite Buffett’s remarkable track record of acquiring equity positions in high-performing stocks, his ability to generate value for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) shareholders by fully acquiring outstanding businesses may be his most notable talent. Buffett and Berkshire made noise earlier this year when the company partnered with 3G Capital and agreed to purchase H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ) for over $23 billion. While any deal Buffett makes would be headline news, this deal was even more unique because of the use of debt to finance part of the transactions, and more importantly, Buffett’s willingness to pay over 20 times trailing earnings for a company while the broader market was trading around 18 times earnings. …Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ENR) Yes, the bunny. However, Energizer is actually much more than just a bunny with cool sunglasses and batteries. In fact, the company’s Household Products division, which includes batteries, only accounted for roughly 46% of total revenues in 2012. Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ENR) controls other major brands like Schick and Edge shaving products, Playtex, and Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreen. The company is led by CEO Ward Klein, who fits what Buffett looks for in a leader. Mr. Klein has spent over 25 years at Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ENR) and has led the company’s march into new markets.
