Warren Buffett's Berkshire pounces on market slump to buy stocks
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Mr Warren Buffett's appetite for his own stock declined even as he piled into shares elsewhere.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is following an age-old adage: Buy the dip.
The conglomerate was a net buyer of equities in the quarter, reporting US$3.8 billion (S$5.2 billion) in purchases, according to results released on Saturday (Aug 6). It was a net seller in the second quarter of last year.
Berkshire stepped in as the S&P 500 shed 16 per cent in the latest quarter.
The company, which is based in Omaha, Nebraska, also reported an operating profit of US$9.2 billion as the insurance and railroad businesses posted gains.
CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert said one business flashing potential warning signs is Geico, the company's personal auto insurance unit. It reported an underwriting loss of US$487 million, even as the conglomerate's other insurance lines gained alongside the division's investment income.
But Ms Seifert said that the report as a whole reflected "decent top-line growth, still decent demand for various goods and services, offset by higher input costs and volatility in equity markets".
'Tough spot'
Berkshire said losses at Geico were the result of higher claims due to rising used-car prices and auto parts shortages. The company said policies in force declined even as it increased premiums, a potential sign that the business is losing market share as customers hunt for better rates elsewhere.
"They are in a little bit of a tough spot right now," Ms Seifert said, adding that the same trends are playing out at other auto insurers but appear to be hitting Geico particularly hard. "It is probably a good idea to watch for further deterioration."
The same market weakness increasing Mr Buffett's buying power is weighing on his company's results, at least on paper. The company reported a net loss of US$43.8 billion due to a US$53 billion loss in the company's investment portfolio. Berkshire downplays those results as a function of accounting rules, saying these provide a misleading picture of the company's actual performance.
Bloomberg calculated the net purchases by subtracting first-quarter numbers from the first-half total.
Mr Buffett's appetite for his own stock declined even as he piled into shares elsewhere. Stock buy-backs clocked in at US$1 billion for the second quarter, lagging the US$3.2 billion in repurchases made at the start of the year. Insurance investment income clocked in at US$1.91 billion.
The company also reported that Berkshire Hathaway Energy had acquired US$870 million in common stock from vice-chairman Greg Abel in June. The transaction was not previously disclosed.
Despite the spending spree, Berkshire made only a measly dent in its cash pile. The company reported US$105.4 billion at the end of June, barely budging from the US$106 billion at the end of the first quarter.
The aggressive pace at which Berkshire picked up shares of Occidental Petroleum has raised questions as to whether Berkshire is looking to make an acquisition of the energy giant. But the company did not provide insight into its strategy in this quarter's regulatory filing.
