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2021-06-13

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This Is The Ultimate Warren Buffett Stock, But Should You Buy It?

Warren Buffett is widely regarded as one of the greatest investors of all time. One way to share in his success is to invest in his firm,Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire stock has cleared a buy zone, but is it a good buy for you now?Let's take a close look at the fundamental and technical performance of the ultimate Warren Buffett stock.Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate that owns some of America's most famous firms. It wholly owns the likes of Geico, Duracell, Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom and

This Is The Ultimate Warren Buffett Stock, But Should You Buy It?

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FoolsMooney
·2021-06-13
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One way to share in his success is to invest in his firm,Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire stock has cleared a buy zone, but is it a good buy for you now?Let's take a close look at the fundamental and technical performance of the ultimate Warren Buffett stock.Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate that owns some of America's most famous firms. It wholly owns the likes of Geico, Duracell, Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom and ","content":"Warren Buffett is widely regarded as one of the greatest investors of all time. One way to share in his success is to invest in his firm,Berkshire Hathaway(BRKB). Berkshire stock has cleared a buy zone, but is it a good buy for you now? Let's take a close look at the fundamental and technical performance of the ultimate Warren Buffett stock.\nBerkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate that owns some of America's most famous firms. It wholly owns the likes of Geico, Duracell, Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom and railroad operator BNSF.\nBerkshire Hathaway is perhaps more famous for serving as an investment vehicle for Warren Buffett and his top lieutenant, Charlie Munger. Following their value investing philosophy,the company owns huge stakesin&nbsp;American Express(AXP),&nbsp;Coca-Cola(KO) and other heavy hitters.\nBut the definition of a Warren Buffett stock has evolved in recent years.&nbsp;Warren Buffett became a big investor in airlines such asDelta Air Lines(DAL). But he was left to rue his decision to go against his own long-held views about that industry's lack of profitability. The move blew up in his face as airline stocks were decimated due to the global coronavirus pandemic.\nUnder investment managers Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, Berkshire Hathaway has been increasingly sinking money into tech. It's taken large positions in established giants likeApple(AAPL), as well as younger companies like Brazilian payments companyStoneCo(STNE) and new software IPOSnowflake(SNOW). Berkshire also snapped up a stake inAmazon.com(AMZN).\nWarren Buffett Anoints Successor\nOne of the biggest questions around the future of Berkshire Hathaway in recent years was who would take over the mantle of CEO from Buffett.\nThe Oracle of Omahahas finally gave the answer. He said Greg Abel, who runs the noninsurance businesses, will take over in his stead.\n\"The directors are in agreement that if something were to happen to me tonight, it would be Greg who'd take over tomorrow morning,\" the legendary investor told CNBC.\nBerkshire's Vice Chairman Charlie Munger dropped a massive hint during the&nbsp;company's annual meeting in Los Angeles, mentioning that \"Greg will keep the culture.\"\nAbel, 58, has been a Berkshire vice chairman since 2018, and had long been viewed by analysts as a possible successor. The Canadian is chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. He has also been vice chairman of Berkshire's noninsurance operations since January 2018.\nBuffett Snaps Up Berkshire Stock\nBerkshire Hathaway revealed in its Q1 earnings report that it had snapped up $6.6 billion more of its shares. It comesafter a record $27.4 billion in repurchaseslast year. This was down from the $9 billion in stock it had purchased in each of the previous two quarters however.\nAfter historically shying away from repurchases, Berkshire Hathaway stock has become one of Buffett's top purchases.&nbsp;Berkshire's aggressive share repurchases contrasts with the M&amp;A deals spun by the investor during and after the 2008 financial crash.\nWhile he has historically been reluctant to splurge on stock repurchases, he explained his change of heart in his latest annual letter to shareholders.\n\"The math of repurchases grinds away slowly, but can be powerful over time,\" he wrote. \"The process offers a simple way for investors to own an ever-expanding portion of exceptional businesses.\"\nBerkshire loosened rules for Buffett to buy back shares in 2018. With Berkshire steadfastly cautious on M&amp;A in recent years, investors have been clamoring for more repurchases.\nBerkshire Hathaway Tweaks Portfolio\nWarren Buffett took a huge stake inVerizon(VZ) stock while dumping JPMorgan (JPM) stock entirely, according to thefirm's latest regulatory filing.\nIts new Verizon stake is massive, with Berkshire paying $8.62 billion for 147 million shares. It now accounts for 3% of the portfolio, making it the No. 6 stock by number of shares held.\nBuffett also opened new stakes inChevron(CVX),Marsh &amp; McLennan(MMC) andEW Scripps(SSP) in Q4.\nBerkshire dumped entirelyPfizer(PFE),JPMorgan Chase(JPM),Barrick Gold(GOLD),M&amp;T Bank(MTB) andPNC Financial(PNC).\nThe conglomerate grew stakes by 117% inT-Mobile(TMUS), 34% inKroger(KR), 28% inMerck(MRK), 20% inAbbVie(ABBV), 11% inBristol-Myers Squibb(BMY), and 1% inRH(RH).\nBuffett cut Berkshire's stake in Apple stock by 6%. It remains the No. 1 stock in his portfolio by market value and No. 2 stock by number of shares held, at 10.6% of the portfolio. He kept an Amazon stake steady.\nDuring its most recent earnings report, the firm revealed it had sold $6.45 billion in stock in Q1 and bought $2.57 billion in stock.\nWarren Buffett Funds Media Deal\nBerkshire Hathaway is a key backer in a deal disclosed Sept. 24 that will see TV station ownerE.W. Scripps(SSP) purchase privately held cable network ION Media for $2.65 billion. The latter firm's flagship, ION Television, is a top 5-ranked U.S. general entertainment network.\nWarren Buffett's firm is snapping up $600 million of Scripps preferred shares to help fund the deal. Scripps stock surged on on the news.\nBerkshire will also receive a warrant that allows it to snap up up to 23.1 million more shares at a price of $13. This adds up to an additional investment of $300 million. Scripps' common shares currently trade at more than 21 each.\nBerkshire Hathaway Coronavirus Exposure\nAs well as its status as an investment vehicle, Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate in its own right. It has interests in segments such as railroads, utilities and energy.\nThose sectors, along with other \"real economy\" companies that are Warren Buffett staples, have been hard hit by the coronavirus shutdowns and massive economic contraction. However they should benefit as the economy opens up again.\nBerkshire owns Geico, the No. 2 U.S. auto insurer after State Farm. Currently, states such as California are ordering insurers to give partial credits or refunds of premiums in lines such as private passenger automobile insurance.\nBerkshire also owns BNSF Railway Company, the largest freight railroad network in North America. Rail operators such asUnion Pacific(UNP) andCSX(CSX) have seen business suffer during the pandemic. But rail operators and other transportation companies are seeing business pick up again.\nOther wholly owned businesses such as Dairy Queen and multilevel marketing company Pampered Chef also struggled during coronavirus restrictions, though those are easing.\nWarren Buffett's Big Gas Bill\nWarren Buffett has been criticized for the size of his cash pile. But last July he madehis biggest acquisition in yearswith a $10 billion deal forDominion Energy's (D) assets.\nBerkshire seized the chance to secure Dominion's gas pipeline network after the utility giant andDuke Energy(DUK) unexpectedly aborted plans to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.\nBerkshire Hathaway Energy will buy about 7,700 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines and 900 billion cubic feet of gas storage. The all-cash deal includes $4 billion of equity and $5.7 billion of debt. It's set to close in the fourth quarter.\n\"We are very proud to be adding such a great portfolio of natural gas assets to our already strong energy business,\" Buffett said in a statement.\nEnergy has been doing well so far in 2021. For example, the Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) is up almost 40% since the start of the year.\nBerkshire Hathaway Stock Technical Analysis\nBerkshire Hathaway stock is in a profit-taking zone after breaking out of aflat base, according toMarketSmith analysis. Theideal buy pointwas 235.09. Shares offered a follow-on buy point around 246 in late March after a test of the 10-week line, but are extended from here as well.\nIt could go on to form a new base with an entry point of 295.18, it can continue to consolidate below this level.\nBRKB stock is well clear after pulling away from its50-day moving average, though the key technical benchmark is beginning to catch up. This is a positive sign for holders of the stock.\nTherelative strength lineof Berkshire Hathaway stock has been slippi8ng somewhat of late after a spell of progress that kicked off in mid-March. BRKB stock is outperforming in 2021. So far this year, it is up around 23%, which beats the broader S&amp;P 500's return of almost 13%.\nItsIBD Composite Ratingnow sits at 69 out of 99. This is not ideal, but puts it in the top 31% of stocks tracked overall.\nEarnings are&nbsp; improving, with EPS accelerating for the past two quarters. However earnings have only grown by an average of 5% over the past three quarters, with coronavirus pandemic lockdowns having an impact.&nbsp;The CAN SLIM systemrecommends investors look for companies with average EPS growth of at least 25% over this time period.\nWall Street is becoming more optimistic for Berkshire Hathaway earnings growth going forward. Analysts are projecting annual earnings will rise 24% 2021, before moderating to 7% growth in 2022.\nWarren Buffett Recommendation\nBerkshire stock had been lagging the S&amp;P 500 index since the end of 2018. Before that, BRKB stock at best moved with the market for a decade. An investor could have bought an index fund or ETF like the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF (SPY), and generated similar or higher returns with less stock-specific risk.\n\"In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is owning the S&amp;P 500 index fund, Buffett himself previously said at a Berkshire annual meeting. \"If you bet on America and sustain that position for decades, you'd do far better than buying Treasury securities, or far better than following people. Perhaps with a bias, I don't believe anyone knows what the market is going to do tomorrow, next week, next month, next year.\"\nNevertheless, BRKB stock has been outperforming the S&amp;P 500 so far this year. It could now finally be set for a decent period of outperformance.\nBerkshire Hathaway Earnings Improve\nBerkshire Hathaway earnings per share popped 27% in Q1, rising to $3.05. This was well clear of analyst views for EPS of $2.57. Its operating profit, which excludes some investment results, came in at $7 billion.\nThe conglomerate's total revenue came in at $64.6 billion last quarter, which was also more than analysts expected.\nThe firm's wheeling and dealing on the stock market also saw the firm turn in good gains, increasing approximately $4.69 billion last quarter. However the firm stresses that gains and losses in any particular quarter are \"usually meaningless.\" This fits in with Buffett's longer-term investment philosophy.\nBuffett's Cash Mountain Still Mighty\nBerkshire's cash pile grew to $145.4 billion in Q1 from $138.3 billion in Q4. It is creeping back up to record level it reached in the third quarter of last year. This has raised expectations that Buffett would make a big acquisition, but he has preferred to sit on the sidelines amid spiraling stock prices.\nHaving such a large supply of cash protects the Warren Buffett stock during tough times. It also mean Berkshire Hathaway is able to deploy capital when desirable businesses become available for purchase.\nThe more aggressive buying of Berkshire's own shares of late contrasts with Buffett's deals during and after the Great Recession. This indicates he believes that the latest economic downturn and recovery, so far, offer none of the bargains he has historically pounced on.\nAnalyst Backs Berkshire Stock\nCFRA analyst Catherine Seifert is rating BRKB stock as a hold with a 295 price target. She pointed out the mixed nature of the firm's recent earnings report.\n\"Results reflected a doubling of underwriting profits and 12% higher rail/energy/utility profits, despite 13% lower in investment income,\" she said in a May 3 research note. \"We applaud the 33% rise in energy revenues amid contributions from an acquisition, but rail revenues declined fractionally and insurance premium growth of 4.3% lagged peers.\nNevertheless, she said the shares are currently \"fairly valued versus historical levels.\" The analyst also believes there could be changes afoot once he firm's legendary CEO steps down.\n\"We are disappointed climate change and diversity initiatives failed to be approved at the annual meeting, and think this increases the likelihood of activism in a post-Buffet era,\" she said.\nDifference Between BRKA Stock And BRKB Stock\nThe most obvious difference between Berkshire Hathaway's A class and B class shares is the price. While — at over 200 a share — BRKB stock may be considered relatively expensive, BRKA stock is the most expensive on the market, currently trading near $430,000 a share.\nWarren Buffett decided to introduce the BRKB shares to allow investors to purchase stock directly. Big demand for Berkshire Hathaway stock forced less-moneyed players to plow cash into unit trusts or mutual funds that mirrored his company's holdings.\nBerkshire Hathaway Today\nBerkshire Hathaway operates in four main sectors.\nIts insurance group is one of its biggest cash cows. One of the most famous jewels in the crown is Geico. Other parts of this business include multinational property/casualty and life/health reinsurance company General Re and Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group. The latter underwrites excess-of-loss reinsurance and quota-share coverage globally.\nInsurance operations are a big reason why Berkshire Hathaway earnings can be lumpy.\nIts Regulated Utility Business group includes Berkshire Hathaway Energy, formerly known as MidAmerican Energy. It also includes railway services arm BNSF, North America's largest freight railroad network.\nMeanwhile, the Manufacturing, Service &amp; Retailing group includes Acme Building Brands, Fruit of the Loom and Justin Brands. The likes of Buffalo News, Business Wire, Dairy Queen and NetJets fall under the service subsector. Retailers include See's Candies, Ben Bridge Jeweler, Helzberg Diamond Shops and Star Furniture.\nFinally, the Finance &amp; Financial Products segment includes: Hathaway Credit Corporation, transportation equipment and furniture leasing specialists XTRA and CORT, and BH Finance whose main interest is in proprietary investing strategies.\nIs Berkshire Hathaway Stock A Buy Now?\nWhile Berkshire Hathaway stock has been lagging the S&amp;P 500 index since late 2018, it has been handily outperforming in 2021. However, Berkshire stock is now well clear of its most recent buy zone. Investors keen on the stock could add it to their watchlist, and wait for a new buying opportunity to emerge.\nWhile its Composite Rating is still not up to scratch, it has improved on this front as well. This makes it an option worth watching for investors seeking to add to their portfolio a well established stock with a diversified portfolio of businesses.\nHowever, it is worth remember that, after a late-2018 burst, Berkshire Hathaway earnings growth has been modest and uneven. While Wall Street sees solid EPS growth ahead for Berkshire in 2021 and 2022, it still remains shy of the rates sought by CAN SLIM investors.\nBottom line: Berkshire Hathaway stock is not a buy at the moment. Those interested in buying the ultimate Warren Buffett stock should add it to their watchlist, and wait to see if it forms a new base.","source":"lsy1610449120050","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>This Is The Ultimate Warren Buffett Stock, But Should You Buy It?</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nThis Is The Ultimate Warren Buffett Stock, But Should You Buy It?\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-13 00:12 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://www.investors.com/research/berkshire-hathaway-stock-buy-now-warren-buffett-stock/?src=A00220>investors</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nWarren Buffett is widely regarded as one of the greatest investors of all time. One way to share in his success is to invest in his firm,Berkshire Hathaway(BRKB). Berkshire stock has cleared a buy ...\n\n<a href=\"https://www.investors.com/research/berkshire-hathaway-stock-buy-now-warren-buffett-stock/?src=A00220\">Source Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"BRK.B":"伯克希尔B","BRK.A":"伯克希尔"},"source_url":"https://www.investors.com/research/berkshire-hathaway-stock-buy-now-warren-buffett-stock/?src=A00220","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/e9f99090a1c2ed51c021029395664489","article_id":"1148565686","content_text":"Warren Buffett is widely regarded as one of the greatest investors of all time. One way to share in his success is to invest in his firm,Berkshire Hathaway(BRKB). Berkshire stock has cleared a buy zone, but is it a good buy for you now? Let's take a close look at the fundamental and technical performance of the ultimate Warren Buffett stock.\nBerkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate that owns some of America's most famous firms. It wholly owns the likes of Geico, Duracell, Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom and railroad operator BNSF.\nBerkshire Hathaway is perhaps more famous for serving as an investment vehicle for Warren Buffett and his top lieutenant, Charlie Munger. Following their value investing philosophy,the company owns huge stakesin American Express(AXP), Coca-Cola(KO) and other heavy hitters.\nBut the definition of a Warren Buffett stock has evolved in recent years. Warren Buffett became a big investor in airlines such asDelta Air Lines(DAL). But he was left to rue his decision to go against his own long-held views about that industry's lack of profitability. The move blew up in his face as airline stocks were decimated due to the global coronavirus pandemic.\nUnder investment managers Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, Berkshire Hathaway has been increasingly sinking money into tech. It's taken large positions in established giants likeApple(AAPL), as well as younger companies like Brazilian payments companyStoneCo(STNE) and new software IPOSnowflake(SNOW). Berkshire also snapped up a stake inAmazon.com(AMZN).\nWarren Buffett Anoints Successor\nOne of the biggest questions around the future of Berkshire Hathaway in recent years was who would take over the mantle of CEO from Buffett.\nThe Oracle of Omahahas finally gave the answer. He said Greg Abel, who runs the noninsurance businesses, will take over in his stead.\n\"The directors are in agreement that if something were to happen to me tonight, it would be Greg who'd take over tomorrow morning,\" the legendary investor told CNBC.\nBerkshire's Vice Chairman Charlie Munger dropped a massive hint during the company's annual meeting in Los Angeles, mentioning that \"Greg will keep the culture.\"\nAbel, 58, has been a Berkshire vice chairman since 2018, and had long been viewed by analysts as a possible successor. The Canadian is chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. He has also been vice chairman of Berkshire's noninsurance operations since January 2018.\nBuffett Snaps Up Berkshire Stock\nBerkshire Hathaway revealed in its Q1 earnings report that it had snapped up $6.6 billion more of its shares. It comesafter a record $27.4 billion in repurchaseslast year. This was down from the $9 billion in stock it had purchased in each of the previous two quarters however.\nAfter historically shying away from repurchases, Berkshire Hathaway stock has become one of Buffett's top purchases. Berkshire's aggressive share repurchases contrasts with the M&A deals spun by the investor during and after the 2008 financial crash.\nWhile he has historically been reluctant to splurge on stock repurchases, he explained his change of heart in his latest annual letter to shareholders.\n\"The math of repurchases grinds away slowly, but can be powerful over time,\" he wrote. \"The process offers a simple way for investors to own an ever-expanding portion of exceptional businesses.\"\nBerkshire loosened rules for Buffett to buy back shares in 2018. With Berkshire steadfastly cautious on M&A in recent years, investors have been clamoring for more repurchases.\nBerkshire Hathaway Tweaks Portfolio\nWarren Buffett took a huge stake inVerizon(VZ) stock while dumping JPMorgan (JPM) stock entirely, according to thefirm's latest regulatory filing.\nIts new Verizon stake is massive, with Berkshire paying $8.62 billion for 147 million shares. It now accounts for 3% of the portfolio, making it the No. 6 stock by number of shares held.\nBuffett also opened new stakes inChevron(CVX),Marsh & McLennan(MMC) andEW Scripps(SSP) in Q4.\nBerkshire dumped entirelyPfizer(PFE),JPMorgan Chase(JPM),Barrick Gold(GOLD),M&T Bank(MTB) andPNC Financial(PNC).\nThe conglomerate grew stakes by 117% inT-Mobile(TMUS), 34% inKroger(KR), 28% inMerck(MRK), 20% inAbbVie(ABBV), 11% inBristol-Myers Squibb(BMY), and 1% inRH(RH).\nBuffett cut Berkshire's stake in Apple stock by 6%. It remains the No. 1 stock in his portfolio by market value and No. 2 stock by number of shares held, at 10.6% of the portfolio. He kept an Amazon stake steady.\nDuring its most recent earnings report, the firm revealed it had sold $6.45 billion in stock in Q1 and bought $2.57 billion in stock.\nWarren Buffett Funds Media Deal\nBerkshire Hathaway is a key backer in a deal disclosed Sept. 24 that will see TV station ownerE.W. Scripps(SSP) purchase privately held cable network ION Media for $2.65 billion. The latter firm's flagship, ION Television, is a top 5-ranked U.S. general entertainment network.\nWarren Buffett's firm is snapping up $600 million of Scripps preferred shares to help fund the deal. Scripps stock surged on on the news.\nBerkshire will also receive a warrant that allows it to snap up up to 23.1 million more shares at a price of $13. This adds up to an additional investment of $300 million. Scripps' common shares currently trade at more than 21 each.\nBerkshire Hathaway Coronavirus Exposure\nAs well as its status as an investment vehicle, Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate in its own right. It has interests in segments such as railroads, utilities and energy.\nThose sectors, along with other \"real economy\" companies that are Warren Buffett staples, have been hard hit by the coronavirus shutdowns and massive economic contraction. However they should benefit as the economy opens up again.\nBerkshire owns Geico, the No. 2 U.S. auto insurer after State Farm. Currently, states such as California are ordering insurers to give partial credits or refunds of premiums in lines such as private passenger automobile insurance.\nBerkshire also owns BNSF Railway Company, the largest freight railroad network in North America. Rail operators such asUnion Pacific(UNP) andCSX(CSX) have seen business suffer during the pandemic. But rail operators and other transportation companies are seeing business pick up again.\nOther wholly owned businesses such as Dairy Queen and multilevel marketing company Pampered Chef also struggled during coronavirus restrictions, though those are easing.\nWarren Buffett's Big Gas Bill\nWarren Buffett has been criticized for the size of his cash pile. But last July he madehis biggest acquisition in yearswith a $10 billion deal forDominion Energy's (D) assets.\nBerkshire seized the chance to secure Dominion's gas pipeline network after the utility giant andDuke Energy(DUK) unexpectedly aborted plans to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.\nBerkshire Hathaway Energy will buy about 7,700 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines and 900 billion cubic feet of gas storage. The all-cash deal includes $4 billion of equity and $5.7 billion of debt. It's set to close in the fourth quarter.\n\"We are very proud to be adding such a great portfolio of natural gas assets to our already strong energy business,\" Buffett said in a statement.\nEnergy has been doing well so far in 2021. For example, the Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) is up almost 40% since the start of the year.\nBerkshire Hathaway Stock Technical Analysis\nBerkshire Hathaway stock is in a profit-taking zone after breaking out of aflat base, according toMarketSmith analysis. Theideal buy pointwas 235.09. Shares offered a follow-on buy point around 246 in late March after a test of the 10-week line, but are extended from here as well.\nIt could go on to form a new base with an entry point of 295.18, it can continue to consolidate below this level.\nBRKB stock is well clear after pulling away from its50-day moving average, though the key technical benchmark is beginning to catch up. This is a positive sign for holders of the stock.\nTherelative strength lineof Berkshire Hathaway stock has been slippi8ng somewhat of late after a spell of progress that kicked off in mid-March. BRKB stock is outperforming in 2021. So far this year, it is up around 23%, which beats the broader S&P 500's return of almost 13%.\nItsIBD Composite Ratingnow sits at 69 out of 99. This is not ideal, but puts it in the top 31% of stocks tracked overall.\nEarnings are  improving, with EPS accelerating for the past two quarters. However earnings have only grown by an average of 5% over the past three quarters, with coronavirus pandemic lockdowns having an impact. The CAN SLIM systemrecommends investors look for companies with average EPS growth of at least 25% over this time period.\nWall Street is becoming more optimistic for Berkshire Hathaway earnings growth going forward. Analysts are projecting annual earnings will rise 24% 2021, before moderating to 7% growth in 2022.\nWarren Buffett Recommendation\nBerkshire stock had been lagging the S&P 500 index since the end of 2018. Before that, BRKB stock at best moved with the market for a decade. An investor could have bought an index fund or ETF like the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), and generated similar or higher returns with less stock-specific risk.\n\"In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is owning the S&P 500 index fund, Buffett himself previously said at a Berkshire annual meeting. \"If you bet on America and sustain that position for decades, you'd do far better than buying Treasury securities, or far better than following people. Perhaps with a bias, I don't believe anyone knows what the market is going to do tomorrow, next week, next month, next year.\"\nNevertheless, BRKB stock has been outperforming the S&P 500 so far this year. It could now finally be set for a decent period of outperformance.\nBerkshire Hathaway Earnings Improve\nBerkshire Hathaway earnings per share popped 27% in Q1, rising to $3.05. This was well clear of analyst views for EPS of $2.57. Its operating profit, which excludes some investment results, came in at $7 billion.\nThe conglomerate's total revenue came in at $64.6 billion last quarter, which was also more than analysts expected.\nThe firm's wheeling and dealing on the stock market also saw the firm turn in good gains, increasing approximately $4.69 billion last quarter. However the firm stresses that gains and losses in any particular quarter are \"usually meaningless.\" This fits in with Buffett's longer-term investment philosophy.\nBuffett's Cash Mountain Still Mighty\nBerkshire's cash pile grew to $145.4 billion in Q1 from $138.3 billion in Q4. It is creeping back up to record level it reached in the third quarter of last year. This has raised expectations that Buffett would make a big acquisition, but he has preferred to sit on the sidelines amid spiraling stock prices.\nHaving such a large supply of cash protects the Warren Buffett stock during tough times. It also mean Berkshire Hathaway is able to deploy capital when desirable businesses become available for purchase.\nThe more aggressive buying of Berkshire's own shares of late contrasts with Buffett's deals during and after the Great Recession. This indicates he believes that the latest economic downturn and recovery, so far, offer none of the bargains he has historically pounced on.\nAnalyst Backs Berkshire Stock\nCFRA analyst Catherine Seifert is rating BRKB stock as a hold with a 295 price target. She pointed out the mixed nature of the firm's recent earnings report.\n\"Results reflected a doubling of underwriting profits and 12% higher rail/energy/utility profits, despite 13% lower in investment income,\" she said in a May 3 research note. \"We applaud the 33% rise in energy revenues amid contributions from an acquisition, but rail revenues declined fractionally and insurance premium growth of 4.3% lagged peers.\nNevertheless, she said the shares are currently \"fairly valued versus historical levels.\" The analyst also believes there could be changes afoot once he firm's legendary CEO steps down.\n\"We are disappointed climate change and diversity initiatives failed to be approved at the annual meeting, and think this increases the likelihood of activism in a post-Buffet era,\" she said.\nDifference Between BRKA Stock And BRKB Stock\nThe most obvious difference between Berkshire Hathaway's A class and B class shares is the price. While — at over 200 a share — BRKB stock may be considered relatively expensive, BRKA stock is the most expensive on the market, currently trading near $430,000 a share.\nWarren Buffett decided to introduce the BRKB shares to allow investors to purchase stock directly. Big demand for Berkshire Hathaway stock forced less-moneyed players to plow cash into unit trusts or mutual funds that mirrored his company's holdings.\nBerkshire Hathaway Today\nBerkshire Hathaway operates in four main sectors.\nIts insurance group is one of its biggest cash cows. One of the most famous jewels in the crown is Geico. Other parts of this business include multinational property/casualty and life/health reinsurance company General Re and Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group. The latter underwrites excess-of-loss reinsurance and quota-share coverage globally.\nInsurance operations are a big reason why Berkshire Hathaway earnings can be lumpy.\nIts Regulated Utility Business group includes Berkshire Hathaway Energy, formerly known as MidAmerican Energy. It also includes railway services arm BNSF, North America's largest freight railroad network.\nMeanwhile, the Manufacturing, Service & Retailing group includes Acme Building Brands, Fruit of the Loom and Justin Brands. The likes of Buffalo News, Business Wire, Dairy Queen and NetJets fall under the service subsector. Retailers include See's Candies, Ben Bridge Jeweler, Helzberg Diamond Shops and Star Furniture.\nFinally, the Finance & Financial Products segment includes: Hathaway Credit Corporation, transportation equipment and furniture leasing specialists XTRA and CORT, and BH Finance whose main interest is in proprietary investing strategies.\nIs Berkshire Hathaway Stock A Buy Now?\nWhile Berkshire Hathaway stock has been lagging the S&P 500 index since late 2018, it has been handily outperforming in 2021. However, Berkshire stock is now well clear of its most recent buy zone. Investors keen on the stock could add it to their watchlist, and wait for a new buying opportunity to emerge.\nWhile its Composite Rating is still not up to scratch, it has improved on this front as well. This makes it an option worth watching for investors seeking to add to their portfolio a well established stock with a diversified portfolio of businesses.\nHowever, it is worth remember that, after a late-2018 burst, Berkshire Hathaway earnings growth has been modest and uneven. While Wall Street sees solid EPS growth ahead for Berkshire in 2021 and 2022, it still remains shy of the rates sought by CAN SLIM investors.\nBottom line: Berkshire Hathaway stock is not a buy at the moment. Those interested in buying the ultimate Warren Buffett stock should add it to their watchlist, and wait to see if it forms a new base.","news_type":1,"symbols_score_info":{"BRK.B":0.9,"BRK.A":0.9}},"isVote":1,"tweetType":1,"viewCount":2200,"commentLimit":10,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"symbols":[],"verified":2,"subType":0,"readableState":1,"langContent":"EN","currentLanguage":"EN","warmUpFlag":false,"orderFlag":false,"shareable":true,"causeOfNotShareable":"","featuresForAnalytics":[],"commentAndTweetFlag":false,"andRepostAutoSelectedFlag":false,"upFlag":false,"length":12,"xxTargetLangEnum":"ORIG"},"commentList":[{"id":4729590,"commentId":"4729590","gmtCreate":1623586899726,"gmtModify":1663228668135,"authorId":3581564326894939,"author":{"id":3581564326894939,"idStr":"3581564326894939","authorId":3581564326894939,"name":"FoolsMooney","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/d90fed9e35bd25e8e954f2b7e2367a38","vip":1,"crmLevel":12,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":182594669,"objectIdStr":"182594669","type":1,"supId":0,"supIdStr":"0","prevId":0,"prevIdStr":"0","content":"I’M not sure ","text":"I’M not sure ","html":"I’M not sure ","likeSize":0,"commentSize":1,"subComments":[{"id":4729642,"commentId":"4729642","gmtCreate":1623587275958,"gmtModify":1663228668347,"authorId":3578468158955348,"author":{"id":3578468158955348,"idStr":"3578468158955348","authorId":3578468158955348,"name":"Kel9670ong","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/bd86c42e207fbd94e7f8877a29457d71","vip":1,"crmLevel":11,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":182594669,"objectIdStr":"182594669","type":1,"supId":4729590,"supIdStr":"4729590","prevId":0,"prevIdStr":"0","content":"me.too","text":"me.too","html":"me.too","disclaimerType":0}],"verified":10,"allocateAmount":0,"commentType":"invalid","coins":0,"score":0,"disclaimerType":0}],"hasMoreComment":true,"orderType":2}