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skanjete

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Posts posted by skanjete

  1. @Dinar : did you ever see some cash from Berkshire?

    AEP shareholders got something else : the stock price end of 2000 was 0,43£ (with net debt), now 8,5£ (with net cash).

    The two are not to be compared, but AEP had a way better return than Berkshire over these years. 

     

    About the cash : AEP is steadily investing the cash that comes in.

    If you take into account the minorities, they had net debt in 12 of the 21 years. 

     

    That being said, management could indeed do some more effort to get a correct valuation from the market. 

  2. The letter certainly isn't what is was anymore.

     

    It used to be a platform for Buffett's teachings, but I have the impression that Buffett the teacher is gone.

    This has been the case for some years now. Up to say 5 years ago, the letters always contained some in-depth analysis of a subject from an original and very rational angle.

    There was always something to be learned, but this is no longer the case.

     

    Actually, you would learn more today if you read his 1980 letter (a great one about impact of inflation on equity values) instead of his 2020 letter.

     

    Same with his interviews. His answers are more vague, more predictable than they used to be and very often repeat expressions and viewpoints from the past.

    Actually, Charlie kept his originality somewhat longer, but I had the same impression from his Q&A in the DJCO AGM.

     

    It's a pity, but that's life.

  3. You have to appreciate the irony of it all : with their wild speculation the Robinhood investors are cutting off the branch they're sitting on.

    They are destroying the means (Robinhood) they're using to "destroy the hedge funds and the system" and so ultimately themselves.

     

    The brokers halt trading to protect their business and thus their clients. But these clients are now outraged because they think the brokers are just protecting the enemy and don't realize THEY are being protected from their own stupidity.

     

    This whole story makes me even more concerned about the market than I already was. And I'm already sitting on 50% cash.

  4. Could it be that Buffett is hedging against a Biden election win?

     

    If Biden wins the presidency it's probable the tax cuts from Trump will be reversed. So it could make sense to cristallise the historic profits in some stocks before year end.

     

    By selling f.e. WFC, he is offsetting the huge wins in WFC with losses elsewhere while at the same time keeping his bank exposure by buying more of BAC, a bank which he intends to keep anyways.

  5. Writser,

     

    I recently sold out as well.

     

    The Belize economy is very much depending on tourism, and the current Covid 19 crisis will no doubt cause a lot of trouble.

     

    I can't really assess whether the take-over from Scotiabank is a transaction out of strength or weakness.

    In 2009 they used a similar tactic with a cashbox in Bermuda, (which offered a great merger workout opportunity at the time), but that was more out of survival than anything else.

  6. It's striking how people try to find reasons to rationalise their own bias. Munger's message in the interview doesn't align with someone's bullish view, so their reflex is to find reasons why Munger is wrong and they're right.

     

    If someone like Munger comes to tell me he's got a different opinion than me, my first reflex would be : "Ouch, where did I go wrong?"

  7. Terry Smith is a good investor. Seemingly the best part of the company he managed for years (Tullet Prebon) was the pension fund. ;-)

     

    The results for Fundsmith have been attractive since inception. But it seems a big part of the results came mainly from valuation and multiple expansion of somewhat higher company profits.

     

    So, it looks a little like the nifty fifty era. This thing could go in reverse as well I'm afraid.

  8. It's very dangerous to try to shrug off Munger's and probably Buffett's prudence or conservatism as a consequence of their age or personal financial needs  or even legacy.

     

    If the situation would call for it, I am certain they would swing for the fences. Look at what Buffett did in september 2008 or Munger in March 2009. All-in in a very short period of time.

     

    I agree with them that the right time for investment hasn't come yet. The risk/reward just isn't there. A few weeks ago we had a low point, and some traders thought there was a good trade to be made, and they did, but Buffett and Munger aren't traders. They buy to keep. And from that perspective, the time to buy hasn't come yet.

     

    I've lived through quite a few cycles, and have never seen a true bottom with market sentiment as it is right now. I get constantly phone calls from people who have zero experience in the stock market with questions how they can and in what they have to invest. Brokers can't handle the applications from small investors and I read a broker had to cancel 40% of the applications because the appliers didn't have the necessary knowlegde to open an account. At a true bottom, almost nobody, and certainly no amateurs are interested in stepping in.

     

    I mean, look at the S&P500. About 10% lower YTD. I can't comprehend this. The economic damage is real. Talk to a business owner instead of a stock trader and you get a real view of what is happening. There is an enormous value destruction going on, and no Fed or government is going to compensate this.

     

    It's a simple fact that people in lockdown aren't producing any output anymore. That output is gone forever and won't be compensated, no matter how much money they print. Millions of people and businesses are surviving right now by eating up their reserves. These reserves are gone and not available anymore to consume or to invest after the crisis. The compounding effect in the economy is working in reverse at the moment, and it is not that easy to turn it around again. So I think the economic consequences will be felt long after the virus has been contained.

     

    In these circumstances, a 10% correction from the rosy times earlier this year look a little paltry. Besides, I can't image a bull market of more than 10 years stops with a crash of 35%, only to resume 4 weeks thereafter. The imbalances are not cleansed out of the system. Look at Tesla : everything comes to a standstill, but the share price is up 70% YTD?

     

    So we have time to see this thing evolve. There's certainly no need to rush in and the true long term opportunities will come. In this, I am completely on Munger's page. 

     

  9.  

    For me, the main attraction is when/if the bank can work through his post-crisis problems. The bank is very profitable, but for now is still working through his past problems by write-offs and provisions.

    If you exclude the provisions from the financial business, the bank is priced at a P/E of 1!

     

    The intrest margin is incredible : 10,72%

    Previously to their unsuccessfull expansion to T&C, their Belize Bank with a market share of about 40-50% (this is still the case) had a ROA of 7-9%!!

     

    Assets are about 550m$ now, and the bank itself apparently isn't impaired.

     

    So if they can work off their unperforming loans from the past and can return to this kind of profitability, they could even produce earnings of about 35p/sh.

     

    So the real potential is a lot more than the possible litigation award.

    By the way : the money won't be returned to shareholders, but will be used to expand in the Caribbean market. A few years ago, there was talk of an acquisition in Trinidad & Tobago.

     

    regards,

     

    They published half year results yesterday. A half year profit of 6p/sh!

     

    Last year when we discussed the shares and I highlighted the potential P/E of 1, they were at 8p/sh.

     

    Since then Midway Investments has been spun of. These contain the rights for a payout from the Belizean government of 33p/sh, (if they ever pay of course).

     

    The stub quotes today at 21p/sh, still at a non-demanding P/E of 1,75!!

    So we're looking at a 6-bagger over the course of 1 year which still trades at a P/E of 1,75 today!

     

    This must have been the cheapest name I ever saw...

     

    Yesterday, CIHL published interim results : a half year profit of 9,2p/share! Over the last 12 months about 15p/sh of net profit.

    They also declared an interim divident of about 5,4p/sh, or about 33% on the last share price before the announcement.

     

    Non surprisingly, the share price doubled on the news.

     

    I don't think I'll ever see such a huge difference between price and value again...

     

    Some people ask themselves if value investing is still relevant these days : I do think so! This was/is a great example.

  10. Does anyone besides me hate the new Morningstar online data format?

     

    It looks like a crappy financial finger painting.

     

    Add to that the fact that 1 day the "stock favs" screen shows 20ish questionable

    5 star results & the next it shows 400ish questionable 5 star results.

     

    The financial data used to be OK, but with the current format it's total crap.

    I canceled my subscription.

     

  11. Berkshire files two 13Fs, and then there are some pension fund holdings that are eliminated in the Annual Report presentation but may creep in to other SEC filings.  Most people just forget about General Re New England Asset Management holdings that are tagged as belonging to Berkshire.  Dataroma and CNBC have always had that part wrong.

     

    Does anyone know why the amounts of stocks Berkshire holds and lists on page 12 don't seem to match (in most cases) the amounts as listed in their 13F on Q42018?

     

    OK, thanks a lot!!!

     

  12. I once had some shares in Rosenbauer, the fire truck builder.

    Also owner operator and great management. For years they also had great results, quite incredible actually for a mundane business.

    But this changed when the younger generation Ziegler took over. I don't own them anymore.

     

    I also once had my eyes on Andritz, electromechanical equipment and services for hydro power plants, but I thought it was too expensive at the time.

     

    Could you give us some more information on Polytec please? What's the attraction?

     

    Thanks

  13.  

    For me, the main attraction is when/if the bank can work through his post-crisis problems. The bank is very profitable, but for now is still working through his past problems by write-offs and provisions.

    If you exclude the provisions from the financial business, the bank is priced at a P/E of 1!

     

    The intrest margin is incredible : 10,72%

    Previously to their unsuccessfull expansion to T&C, their Belize Bank with a market share of about 40-50% (this is still the case) had a ROA of 7-9%!!

     

    Assets are about 550m$ now, and the bank itself apparently isn't impaired.

     

    So if they can work off their unperforming loans from the past and can return to this kind of profitability, they could even produce earnings of about 35p/sh.

     

    So the real potential is a lot more than the possible litigation award.

    By the way : the money won't be returned to shareholders, but will be used to expand in the Caribbean market. A few years ago, there was talk of an acquisition in Trinidad & Tobago.

     

    regards,

     

    They published half year results yesterday. A half year profit of 6p/sh!

     

    Last year when we discussed the shares and I highlighted the potential P/E of 1, they were at 8p/sh.

     

    Since then Midway Investments has been spun of. These contain the rights for a payout from the Belizean government of 33p/sh, (if they ever pay of course).

     

    The stub quotes today at 21p/sh, still at a non-demanding P/E of 1,75!!

    So we're looking at a 6-bagger over the course of 1 year which still trades at a P/E of 1,75 today!

     

    This must have been the cheapest name I ever saw...

  14. This one is quite old as well, although I'm not sure if it will continue a whole lot longer : Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

     

    "Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena was founded by order of the Magistrature of the Republic of Siena as Monte di Pietà on March 4, 1472, when its statute was approved. Since then the bank has been in operation without interruption to the present day. It is therefore considered the oldest bank in the world still operating."

     

    Listed, but only since 1999.

  15. Hi everyone,

     

    I was thinking maybe someone on the message board could help me find some information I'm looking for.

     

    I'm looking for cash merger transactions denominated in euro with a high degree of execution probability.

     

    Is anyone aware of some of these situations, or does there exist a website where I can find some of these situations?

     

    For dollar situations, I use http://www.insidearbitrage.com/merger-arbitrage/.

     

    Does anything similar exist for euro situations?

     

    Thank you very much in advance!

     

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