September 2011

Buffett's Plans and the Buyback

Wed, 09/28/2011 - 22:23

In this latest Bloomberg column, I give some views on how the share repurchase fits into Buffett's plans -- which are changing.

UPDATE: Buffett with Betty Liu on Bloomberg TV says Berkshire has begun to buy back stock. Confirms it's undervalued. Has enough cash to continue to make acquisitions while buying back stock.

Berkshire Share Repurchase -- First Time Since 2000

Mon, 09/26/2011 - 08:25

 Today Berkshire Hathaway authorized a share repurchase at 10% over the book value of the stock. This is the first time since the end of the Internet bubble, which was the only other repurchase authorization that Berkshire has made.  At that time, the announcement ran the stock up immediately and no shares were repurchased. The same will probably happen now.

Washington Post Op-Ed on Buffett Tax

Sat, 09/24/2011 - 13:44

 Why Obama should use Buffett's reputation for more than promoting a tax on the rich. My op-ed, just published.

More on Buffett Tax -- Why Does Buffett Do It?

Sat, 09/24/2011 - 09:05

 Story from the FT. I give some information. Tomorrow in WaPo I have an op-ed about how Obama should deploy Buffett to make larger points.

Buffett Tax

Tue, 09/20/2011 - 10:56

 In this ABC News story, I comment on the three reasons why it made sense for Obama to name it the "Buffett tax." Also, here's the link to "Who is Debbie Bosanek?" http://www.slate.com/id/2304225/ )">story.

More on Weschler -- A Big Moment for Berkshire

Thu, 09/15/2011 - 19:44

 My latest Bloomberg column, written after doing some investigation into who Ted Weschler is and what he means to Berkshire. The "he spent $5 million to get a job interview" presentation did not do him justice -- not even close. 

Investment Manager #2

Tue, 09/13/2011 - 07:25

 The Financial Times article on Ted Weschler.  As I noted, this is one of those "only at Berkshire" moments. Apart from the unusual way he was hired, though, Weschler has a strong investing track record, has managed a reasonable amount of money, and there are aspects of his background that would obviously appeal to Buffett. Last evening I attended an investor event at which several well-known managers were present. The #1 subject was Weschler.

Labor Day, for the Semi-Employed

Wed, 09/07/2011 - 09:48

 My latest Bloomberg column on the sorry state of U.S. employment -- thanks to our laws and regulations -- why give anyone a job?