Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (B) (BRK.B-N)

Not 100% correlated to the S&P, so tends to have a slightly different profile. And yet, it's a way to play the US markets on a fairly broad basis. Won't necessarily have all the downside if the market falls. In an uptrend, though it's pulled back just like everything else. Worth picking up anytime it pulls back to the trendline. No dividend.

It's one of those things you really can hold on to for a while, and he holds onto hardly anything.

Not really. Though very diversified, BRK isn't that different from owning the S&P.

He doesn't comment on stocks usually. The last time Warren Buffett held this much cash was 2005 and he slowly invested that into the 2008 crisis; his timing wasn't perfect.

Decent-sized position, he's been legging in. Likes it because it's not completely correlated to the S&P 500, but close enough. Doesn't argue with the chart or the trend of the market, but acknowledges that it could be overvalued. This pick has about a 25% cash hold, which is pretty heavy. Also has a value slant when it buys new positions. Safer way to play the market but still participate.

Lagging the S&P lately, but that's because it's 25% in cash. No dividend.

Has done quite well compared to S&P 500. Thinks Buffett is being cautious this year, selling down material positions in AAPL and BAC, buying more OXY. Should see improved operations at Geico and Burlington Northern. CEO-to-be Greg Abel taking control of underperforming operations, and Barry is excited about that.

Don't sell or take profits. Buffett has together an amazing enterprise (light on cash, though heavily levered to natural gas). Let it run.

Big ship, needs big decisions to steer it. He owns a bit. Dragging a lot of cash; he thinks it's set aside for a potential leadership transition, not because it's expecting some horrible haircut to the market.

FFH is the biggest holding at his firm; you're buying its investment capacity, and we're in a very good cycle. Dynamite investment team. Beyond the claims, investors get returns on the investments. More nimble than BRK, and younger leadership. 

Both great companies, but FFH gets the nod.

They invest the float for insurance companies in a diversified conglomerate of companies including Apple, railways, etc. Buffet likes to buy in times of extreme volatility.

Pickup in the last few weeks in financials, on expectations of interest rate cuts, and on the economy hopefully not falling into recession as a result. Largest holding is AAPL, which has reached record highs. Chart was sideways, now broken out. Holding for a very, very long time. Loves the company.

Sideways pattern should resolve itself higher. If you don't understand tech analysis, and you think Warren Buffet's a smart guy, you should probably just buy some of this today, a half position. Then add later. You're not going to go wrong over time. Great succession plan in place.

Can't do any better than Warren Buffett. As a consolidator of so many different, long-term businesses, doesn't really fit with his portfolio. But if you wanted to buy just 1 stock and hold for 25 years, maybe this is the one you want. Questions on succession.

Hard to argue with its results. He owns a lot of the companies that Berkshire does, such as AAPL, CVX, BAC. Quality companies trading at reasonable prices, that pass the test of profitability and growth, with excitement around the business.

He doesn't want to pay the premium to have BRK manage companies for him. May make sense for an individual investor.

Invested premiums is what's made them money. Now a conglomerate. Very good allocator of capital, good acquisition decisions. Succession is one of the big questions, but seems solid. Very strong company.

We think BRK.B is a very competitive alternative relative to the S&P 500, BRK.B may not be the greatest performer but it protects the downside pretty well. The day will come when someone takes over Mr. Buffet as a succession, which could raise the question of whether the capital allocation decision would be as high-quality as before. But the transition is already in place, really. In terms of breaking up the company, the insider ownership at BRK.B is high, and it is a mega-cap company, so it is hard for any activist to participate in this situation. We think the likelihood of this scenario is quite low. There is a 15% withholding tax on US dividends in a TFSA, but we very highly doubt the company will change its dividend policy and start paying one. 
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free