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Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Discloses 10% Stake In Burlington Northern
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has disclosed a greater than 10% stake in Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNI). Through three insurance subsidiaries (Columbia, National Indemnity, and National Fire & Marine) Berkshire beneficially owns 39,027,430 shares of Burlington Northern common stock according to an SEC filing made on Friday, April 6, 2007.
Topps To Be Acquired By Eisner And Others
On March 6, 2007, Topps (TOPP) announced it agreed to be acquired for $9.75 per share in cash in a transaction valued at $385.4 million. The maker of trading cards and confections (Ring Pop, Push Pop, Bazooka gum, etc.) will be acquired by the Tornante Company and Madison Dearborn Partners. The Tornante Company was founded in 2005 by Michael Eisner – it is privately held.
Friendly's CEO Resigns; Largest Shareholder Requests Seats
On September 28th, Friendly Ice Cream Corp. (FRN), announced CEO John L. Cutter had resigned. It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Cutter had been forced out. I mention the possibility that Mr. Cutter was forced out, because Friendly's largest shareholder, Sardar Biglari, included this disclosure in a recent 13-D:
An Analysis Of Lenox (LNX)
Below is a letter from Mr. John L. Morgan, beneficial owner of approximately 7% of Lenox (LNX), to Ms. Susan E. Engel, Chairwoman and CEO of Lenox.
The Human Index
As the Dow approaches a new all-time high (the record close was 11,722.98), now would be a good time to take a break from the financial news found on your televisions, in your newspapers, (and yes) even on your computers.
An Analysis Of Nintendo (NTDOY)
Even before last week's announcement from Sony (SNE), it seemed nearly certain that company's dominance in the PlayStation 2 generation of video game consoles would give way to a much more level playing field for the PS3 generation. This time around, Sony faces much stiffer competition from both Microsoft (MSFT) and Nintendo (NTDOY).
Sony Delays Playstation 3
As a result of problems related to the mass production of a key component of its Blu-ray DVD player, Sony (SNE) will delay the European launch of its next generation video game console, the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Sony will also reduce the number of PS3 units immediately available in both the U.S. and Japan.
Sumner Redstone Fires Viacom CEO Tom Freston
On Monday, Sumner Redstone fired Viacom’s CEO, Tom Freston. Yesterday, Viacom announced that its Board of Directors had appointed Philippe Dauman President and CEO and Thomas Dooley Senior Executive V.P. and Chief Administrative Officer (a newly created position). Mr. Dooley’s role is expected to be similar to that of a Chief Operating Officer.
An Analysis Of Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)
Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) is a huge Western and Midwestern bank that provides a diverse array of financial services to its more than 23 million customers. The company employs more than 150,000 people at its over 6,000 locations nationwide. Wells Fargo has about $500 billion in assets.
Cedar Fair To Buy Paramount Parks
Publicly traded limited partnership Cedar Fair (FUN) will acquire the Paramount Parks business of CBS Corp (CBS) for approximately $1.25 billion. The five parks involved in the deal are located near Cincinnati (OH), Richmond (VA), Charlotte (NC), Santa Clara (CA), and Toronto.
On Valley National Bancorp
Valley National Bancorp (VLY) is a conservative bank with a strong position in northern New Jersey and a presence in Manhattan. The bank, founded in 1927, has about $12 billion in assets.
On Banks
Superficially, banking appears to be a commodity business. In fact, it appears to be a particularly poor commodity business, because capacity is not constrained by the need to invest in a substantial physical infrastructure. True, whatever investments are made in tangible assets are usually intended as a means to acquire more intangible assets; however, a branch is hardly comparable to an oil well.
The Danger Of Inflexible Enterprises
Whenever a large investment has been made in a particular area, whenever there is a lot capital, people, and ego tied up with some operation, the transition away from that operation is apt to be far slower than what an objective observer would have expected.
Mismanagement At The New York Times
The New York Times Company (NYT) isn’t just reporting the news – it’s making the news. At yesterday’s annual meeting, shareholders withheld 28% of their votes for the four directors elected by holders of the company’s common stock. Nine other directors are elected by holders of the Class B shares, effectively granting control of the company to a group holding less than a 1% economic interest in the business.
Investing With Confidence
Most people’s beliefs about investing are very tenuous. There are, of course, people who are very passionate about investing. They don’t view investing as some esoteric subject, but rather as a field intimately connected to the human behavior they observe in their everyday lives.
Stocks Look Pricey
The first quarter of 2006 is over. Now is a good time to reflect on stock prices and the opportunities they present. Bargains are scarce. Equities are expensive. In recent weeks, I’ve heard several fund managers say valuations are still attractive. I don’t agree. Generally speaking, valuations are unattractive. Returns on equity are higher than historical levels. A market-wide return on equity of 15% is unsustainable.
Buffett's Big Bet
Over the past few days, there have been several stories written about Warren Buffett’s $14 billion bet on global stock markets. I believe these stories are all in reference to this excerpt form Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report:
The Wonders And Horrors Of Compounding
Google Price Target: $16,578.90. Some of you will immediately recognize this headline is a joke. For the rest of you, I was kind of hoping the ninety cents part would give it away.
If you’re reading this because you’re interested in what I have to say about Google (GOOG), you can stop now. I’m not going to say anything interesting about Google. Rather, I’m going to say something (that I hope is) very interesting about the wonders of compounding.
Some Lessons From Warren Buffett's Annual Letter
Warren Buffett’s annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders was released over the weekend. Readers will find plenty of investing lessons among the twenty-three pages. Warren began this letter as he begins each letter, by stating Berkshire’s change in per-share book value:
Return On Assets Is The Hit By Pitch Of Investing
Despite all appearances to the contrary, this is a post about investing – not baseball. So, to those of you who love reading about investing but hate reading about baseball: don’t be deterred. It’s worth reading all the way through.
Return on assets is the hit by pitch of investing. Common sense suggests it isn’t a very important measure. Why would any investor care about return on assets when return on equity and return on capital tell you so much more?
An Analysis Of The Journal Register Company (JRC)
Let me begin with some of the eye – catching metrics that might lead an investor to consider purchasing shares of the Journal Register Company (JRC). This newspaper company has a price – to – earnings ratio of 11.3, a price – to – sales ratio of 0.93, a 5 year average return on capital of 17.6%, and a five year average pre-tax profit margin of 27.4%.
An Analysis Of Journal Communications (JRN)
Journal Communications (JRN) is comprised of seven essentially separate businesses: The Milwaukee Sentinel, Community Newspapers, Television Stations, Radio Stations, Telecommunications, Printing Services, and Direct Marketing. The company’s five reportable segments do not exactly match these seven businesses; however, I believe an investor should analyze JRN on the basis of these seven businesses and their constituent properties, rather than as a single going concern with fi...
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