INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
gave him more leeway to make stock buybacks last month
Now, after the company said its cash pile has swelled to $111 billion, some investors are wondering when they might reap the
made public.
The catch for some analysts is that the strength of the quarterly performance could make the shares too expensive
companies and snapping up businesses such as railroads and insurers to expand his Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate
Buffett said February in a letter to shareholders.
Cash MountainAt the same time, his war chest is far higher than he wants, even as
Berkshire plows money into holdings such as Apple Inc
Berkshire bought $6.1 billion of equities in the second quarter, while selling or redeeming $4.77 billion, according to regulatory filings
Berkshire shares, at Smead Capital Management.
Buffett has repurchased shares before, agreeing in 2012 to buy back some stock from the
estate of a longtime shareholder
The new program eliminates that cap.
Book value, which measures assets minus liabilities, climbed to $217,677 per Class A share at the end
of the second quarter, the company said Saturday
Some investors, including Steven Check of Check Capital Management, say buybacks could begin shortly
for comment left with his assistant.
Buyback SkepticNot all investors want Berkshire to dive in and buy its own stock
the railroad.
Underwriting profit at Geico was more than five times the amount during the same period a year earlier
The railroad, BNSF Railway Co., benefited from an accelerating economy, and also from increased demand due to tighter trucking capacity,
hunting for acquisitions, according to Cathy Seifert, an analyst at CFRA Research
Still, if stock markets start falling, making Berkshire shares a more cost-effective option, the company could swoop in to repurchase
