gfp

Yeah, I got a condo in Ft. Myers under contract 2 days ago for my Mother to live in (her last place flooded). Contract above asking price (which wasn't underpriced), just a couple days on the market, multiple offers above asking price. I wouldn't have won it at all if the listing realtor wasn't favoring our bid and sending "suggestions" back to us on a modified offer to match another bidder. Not very ethical of that realtor but happy to have the help.

Greg bought the dip again - https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1646348/000108131623000009/xslF345X04/wf-form4_167942916524621.xml (55 A-shares, $24.6m)

Ally Financial is a bank. Not going to happen. Berkshire will not acquire a bank and is unlikely to go above 10% ownership of Ally Financial.

The reported volumes have been rising, but it is hard to tell what is real volume since the advent of fractional share trading. A-share volumes are actually a tiny fraction of what gets reported as volume. I think Berkshire and their order execution partners (probably Wallachbeth capital, who they seem to use for almost everything) have a good handle on what the actual daily volumes are on A-shares.

Yep, that is right - about $1.16 Billion worth between 2/13 and 3/8 if you use $305/B-share as a guess on avg. cost. Similarly, about $1.845 Billion worth of repurchases since 12/31 if you use $305/B-share as an avg. cost. 3/8 share count is 2.183547 Billion B-share equivalents ($641 Billion market cap) 3/8 share count is 1,455,698 A-share equivalents.

Here is an article comparing advertising spending for GEICO and their competitors. As mentioned in BRK's annual report, GEICO was putting up horrible numbers even after a sharp drop in ad spending. https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/breaking-news/geico-reports-largest-cutback-in-ad-spend-for-2022-439853.aspx

This much! https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/315090/000089924323008649/xslF345X03/doc4.xml

More buying from insiders at RYAN this week https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1145037/000120919123019008/xslF345X03/doc4.xml https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1849253/000120919123018647/xslF345X03/doc4.xml

Berkshire's proxy should be out any day now. I don't even know who they are calling the "lead" independent director these days. At one point it was Gates.

This is the letter the SEC sent https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1067983/000000000022009598/filename1.pdf Berkshire's response "As requested, we confirm that we will enhance future proxy disclosures in accordance with topics discussed in the Corp Finance Letter as well as to any material developments to Berkshire Hathaway's risk oversight structure."

Not exactly but the gist is correct. Berkshire was granted permission to have their BAC ownership rise to as high as 24.9%. They are also permitted to own just shy of 25% of American Express (also a bank holding company) and are currently over 21% if I remember correctly.

I didn’t even know a tweet could be that long. He must pay for extra characters

In case anyone forgot with all the attention on the Fairfax Financial letter, Fairfax India's letter and especially the section on BIAL (pages 7-10) is very good. https://s1.q4cdn.com/293822657/files/doc_downloads/2023/03/FIH-2022-Anual-Report-Letter-to-Shareholders-with-Attachments-Final.pdf

Just put in an order for a built-in sub-zero panel ready fridge for my in-laws. 12 months lead time to get one! Doesn't sound like a recession to me.

You tried wireless Qi pad charging also?

We were just in town for the day doing some shopping and grabbing lunch. My wife and I are in central Virginia looking after her Mom who just had an ankle replacement surgery, plus our neighbors house back home is under construction and there are like 3 jackhammers going simultaneously for a couple weeks.

In Charlottesville VA this afternoon, had to snap a shot of Ted’s office! (Above this bookstore). This is where the magic happens lol

Yes, Warren sold sold OXY common he had bought and the shares they elected to pay his preferred distribution with for a couple quarters. He sold the shares at low prices but ensured he got his 8% out of the preferred. Sure he got warrants in 2019 but the strike is at last weeks prices, it didn’t lock in some low cost basis.

My impression was that the go shop period was awfully short to allow an unprepared potential bidder to do what they needed to do to put together a serious bid. Not everyone can spit out a number at lunch and stick with it. Plus the direction of interest rates and the effect on Y’s bond portfolio meant the price/book offered by BRK kept rising. It is very true what Warren says, that Alleghany is worth more in Berkshire‘s hands that it was on its own or to most other buyers. Plus it was clear that management and major shareholders had already blessed the Berkshire deal so other deals would get labeled “less certain to close” and so forth

That is true for that one ticker, but the increase in their holdings of this company was more like 40%. (and we really have no idea what percentage of Li Lu's portfolio is invested in Alphabet since we don't know his AUM)

That is correct. The only BHE shares owned by the Insurance Companies are the preferred shares issued to fund the recent pipeline deal. Much of that has already been paid back / redeemed. The insurance companies also buy publicly trading bonds of Berkshire subsidiaries from time to time in the market as an investment and I have seen some BHE bonds in National Indemnity's portfolio.

No problem. I was driving to Virginia all day today but here is the entire document for National Indemnity. Common Stocks owned are on pages 24 and 25 but if you browse around those pages you can see the individual bond holdings and other details. 20087.2022.P.AN.PI.O.M.4461731_NatInd_Inv.pdf

There is a two year note that resets every week

Yeah man! "Fearless Five" or something like that? Chucks Angles, Ben's Angels... It went by a few names over the years to honor people

Sheesh, what happened with RFP shares going into the close today? (besides the merger closing)