Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A), DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc (NYSE:DVA), Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (NYSE:CBI), Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI)
Philanthropist Peter Buffett writes in a highly critical New York Times opinion piece about the limits of what he calls “conscience laundering” by the very wealthy, which aims to address particular health or social problems without tackling the global economic inequality that underpins them. The co-chairman of the NoVo Foundation and son of billionaire investor and donor Warren Buffett says inequality is increasing even as the nonprofit sector has grown explosively in recent years, and is reinforced by the rising influence of business practices in philanthropy.
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway reinsures Irish healthcare claims (Artemis)
High profile investor Warren Buffett’s reinsurance firm Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) has entered into another large reinsurance transaction in the life & health sector. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) will reinsure $923m (€700m) of healthcare related claims for Irish state health insurer VHI. Over the last year Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) has been steadily assuming life and longevity risks through a number of large transactions. For Buffett these large deals pay big premiums which the investor can put to work within his various portfolios. For the counterparties in these transactions, they get the backing of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A), the largest source of reinsurance capital around, and offload risks associated with future liabilities in many of the deals.
Buffett swoops on hopeless quango (Independent)
HAS Warren Buffett lost his marbles? What in the name of God is the lofty Sage of Omaha doing, mixing it with the lowly VHI? Out of the blue, last Thursday morning an Irish Independent exclusive revealed that the wiliest investor in the world had been sucked into one of the deepest swamps in Ireland. The headline described it as a “massive coup” for the decrepit company. In fact, it was a massive coup for Charlie Weston, who broke the story. Media reports suggested that Buffett’s entry to the moribund health insurance market would save the Irish taxpayer up to €90m.
5 Reasons Why the Bears Are Wrong About Berkshire Hathaway (NBCNews)
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A)’s growth over the last year would be impressive, at least, if you ignored the upward drift of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI). However, taken together with the massive run up in the rest of the market, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A)’s prospects look less rosy. In fact, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A)-favored stocks like DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc (NYSE:DVA) and Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (NYSE:CBI) have given back most of their gains from Spring. On May 13, Michael Price of MFP Investors gave a slide presentation at London Value Conference arguing that the fair value of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A)’s stock should be roughly 20% lower than it is today. So are the bears right about Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A)? Here’s five reasons why I believe the answer is an emphatic “No.”
VHI plans efficiency drive to halt runaway premiums (Independent)
VHI, which did a landmark deal last week with legendary US investor Warren Buffett, now plans to drive through major efficiencies to reduce premium prices for cash-strapped consumers. …Mr O’Dwyer said the €700m reinsurance deal with Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) helps this mission. He said negotiations with Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) for a further underwriting contract are under way. “The next challenge is to make it a longer-term deal. We are in positive discussions for a longer-term deal,” he said. Mr Buffett is already being tipped in insurance industry circles as a potential buyer of VHI if the State ever decides to put it on the market.
Buffett now third richest person as he overtakes Zara billionaire (Independent)
WARREN Buffett, “the sage of Omaha”, regained his spot as one of the world’s top three richest people just weeks before signing the momentous deal with VHI revealed by the Irish Independent on Tuesday. The 82-year-old American investor, who has signed a €700m re-insurance deal with the country’s largest health insurer, only recovered his title as the third wealthiest person on earth in May of this year. He had ceded it to Spanish retail tycoon Amancio Ortega last August. Buoyed by 49pc growth in fourth-quarter profit, shares of his multi-national conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) rallied 14pc in the first five months of 2013.
