Category Archives: BRK-A

Munger, Buffett, and Dow Theory

Continue reading

Berkshire Hathaway 13F: Q4 2020

Can you spot the classic “value” purchase?

Below are the shares that Berkshire Hathaway added to their portfolio and the lowest price within the fourth quarter of 2020.  The last five years are shown for the relative value for the respective stocks.  The stocks are shown in order of largest increase to Berkshire Hathaway holdings.

Verizon (VZ)

image

T-Mobile (TMUS)

image

The Kroger Co. (KR)

image

Merck & Co. (MRK)

image

Marsh & McLennan Co. (MMC)

image

AbbVie Inc. (ABBV)

image

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY)

image

Chevron Corp. (CVX)

image

RH (RH)

image


Coppock Curve – Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A)

The recent market rally has pushed the market (S&P 500) near break even for the year. However, shares of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) remain -11% below the price at the start of the year. This drop in value could potentially be a buying opportunity and today we apply the market timing strategy of the Coppock Curve to Berkshire shares.

It’s a rare occurrence when the Coppock Curve for Berkshire reach negative territory. For 40 years, there are only 8 times (once every 5 years) we get a buy signal. We haven’t receive a proper buy-signal yet but let’s review what it did in the past.

The table below shows a summary statistic of all 7 signals from the past. Continue reading

Berkshire Hathaway Hits Target

On February 22, 2019, we posted 10-Year price targets for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A).  At the time, we had 2020 undervalued and extreme undervalue targets of $306,061 and $222,006, respectively.

image

Since that time, Berkshire Hathaway has had an intraday low of $239,440 on March 23, 2020.

image

The 2020 targets have been in place since our May 6, 2012 posting on Berkshire Hathaway.

see also: All 10-Year Targets

Year Over Year: Berkshire Hathaway

Below is a chart of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) from 1981 to 2019 reflecting the year-over-year (YoY) percentage change.

Continue reading

Berkshire Hathaway 10-Year Targets

Below are the valuation targets for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) over the next 10 years. Continue reading

Berkshire Hathaway 10-Year Targets

Below are the valuation targets for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) for the next 10 years.

Our valuation targets for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A)  in 2019 are:

  • $387,760.23 (overvalued)
  • $249,910.85 (fair value)
  • $306,061.47 (undervalued)
  • $202,007.52 (extreme undervalue)

The valuation targets for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) are based on an implied dividend growth rate of 9.90% and applied to Edson Gould’s Altimeter.  This is based on a 2012 model which has achieved all upside and downside targets since. A graphical representation of the overvalued, fair value, and undervalued levels are below.

image

The above Altimeter translates into the following undervalued and overvalued ranges since 2007:

image

10-Year Targets

image

Observations

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) has an expected price range of $369,661.35 to $565,658.13 by 2021-2023.

Last updated: February 23, 2019

Berkshire Hathaway, Why Wait Until After the Fact?

On November 6, 2018, MarketWatch.com published an article titled “This is what happened the last time Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway bought back stock.”  In the article, the author, Tomi Kilgore says, “Perhaps what is of value to investors, Berkshire Hathaway disclosed in its 10-Q quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it repurchased about $928 million worth of its Class A and Class B shares during the quarter, something it hasn’t done since December 2012.”

In the past, it has been indicated that Berkshire Hathaway, “…would repurchase Class A and Class B shares at no more than a 10 percent premium over the current book value of the shares ("Berkshire Hathaway to repurchase stock." UPI NewsTrack, 26 Sept. 2011. Infotrac Newsstand,. Accessed 7 Nov. 2018.).”

Why wait until after Berkshire announces a buyback plan to find out when the stock is at or below a “10 percent premium?”  Our work on the topic has consistently pointed to when Berkshire was undervalued as noted in our May 6, 2012 article titled “Should Berkshire Hathaway Be Trading at 1995 Prices?” which outlined the fact that Berkshire Hathaway was severely underpriced.

In addition, Berkshire Hathaway has consistently performed within the parameters of overvalued and undervalued that we expected since that article in May 2012.  Based on the data that we generated in May of 2012, we are posting the undervalued and overvalued ranges that would have been expected from 1998 to 2018.

1998 to 2009

Below is the charting of the undervalued and overvalued ranges from June 1, 1998 to March 5, 2009.

image

Much of the data shows a relative range that Berkshire Hathaway generally trades in.  However, at certain times, Berkshire Hathaway’s stock price has run to extremes of overvalued and undervalued.  This is made more clear in the next chart, a continuation of the above from December 3, 2007 to November 6, 2018.

2007 to 2018

Below is the charting of the undervalued and overvalued ranges from December 3, 2007 to November 6, 2018 with a reference to our May 6, 2012 posting with the May 7, 2012 closing price of Berkshire Hathaway.

image

Our October 11, 2018 posting, well before the announced buyback plan, of Berkshire Hathaway’s price targets (2019 to 2030) easily demonstrates why Berkshire would be in a mood to buy back shares at the current levels.

Berkshire Hathaway Targets

Below are the valuation targets for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) for the next 10 years. Continue reading

Cycle Review: Berkshire Hathaway

Since 1990, the price of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) has had easily discernable cycles.  In this posting, we present the evidence that is suggestive of a potential decline of –40% or more from the most recent peak to July 2019.

Berkshire Hathaway: Fairly valued, But…

On May 6, 2012, we posted an article titled “Should Berkshire Hathaway Be Trading at 1995 Prices?” where we constructed an Altimeter for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A).  At the time we said the following:

Based on the Altimeter, Berkshire is currently undervalued by at least 66% and below the 2007 peak by almost 95%. Those considering the acquisition of Berkshire Hathaway have the following upside targets to consider in the coming 2-3 years, all things being equal:

  • $175,280
  • $197,190
  • $219,100

Since that time, the price of Berkshire increased the +95% by November 2016.  The updated Altimeter is listed below:

image

Berkshire Hathaway 2018 Targets

On February 5, 2017, we said the following of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) when the stock was trading at $245,646:

“The upside target to fair value is at $287,172.61, be on the lookout for this as the possible upside target for BRK-A in 2017.”

Berkshire Hathaway achieved the upside fair value target on November 30, 2017 and now trades at $297,740.  Although the gain has been only +21.20%, there is a high level of predictability in the price action of the stock.  Below we outline the overvalued, fair value and undervalued targets of BRK-A for 2018 based on the Altimeter.

Berkshire Hathaway: Price Projections to 2022

In our May 6, 2012 posting on Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) titled “Should Berkshire Hathaway Be Trading at 1995 Prices?”, we gave price projections based on Edson Gould’s Altimeter using very conservative estimates if BRK-A paid a dividend.

The data based on that 2012 article has proven to be accurate as we’ve managed to achieve all of the undervalued levels for Berkshire Hathaway since then.

Year Undervalued Price
2012 158,030.31
2013 173,675.31
2014 190,869.16
2015 209,765.21
2016 230,531.97

Below is the remainder of the 10-year price where BRK-A would be considered undervalued.  As of February 3, 2017, BRK-A closed at a price of $245,646.  Additionally, we’ve included the fairvalue upside target for BRK-A in 2017.

Continue reading

Insurance Watch List: February 2017

Performance Review

This is a review of the nearly 1-year performance of the Insurance Watch List from February 21, 2016.

image

On the whole, the analyst estimates for insurance stocks were on target.  Although AmTrust Financial Services (AFSI) did not come close to the estimated gain projected on February 2016, at least the price of the stock did not register a loss in the period of time covered.

Berkshire Hathaway: 10-year Price Projections

In our May 6, 2012 posting on Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) titled “Should Berkshire Hathaway Be Trading at 1995 Prices?”, we gave price projections based on Edson Gould’s Altimeter using very conservative estimates if BRK-A paid a dividend.

The data based on that 2012 article has proven to be accurate as we’ve managed to achieve all of the undervalued levels for Berkshire Hathaway since then.  Below is the 10-year price where BRK-A would be considered undervalued.  As of August 28, 2015, BRK-A closed at a price of $205,344.