Core Insights - Warren Buffett has expressed a willingness to invest $100 billion if the right opportunity arises, but has refrained from making significant purchases in his final quarter as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway [1] - Berkshire Hathaway's fourth-quarter earnings report indicates that Buffett struggled to find attractive investment opportunities, leading to net stock sales for the 13th consecutive quarter [2] Investment Activity - Berkshire built a small stake in The New York Times Company, reduced its investments in Apple and Bank of America, and cut 77% of its small position in Amazon during the recent quarter [7] - The company has not engaged in stock buybacks for six consecutive quarters, following a total of approximately $17 billion in repurchases during 2022 and 2023 [7] Cash Position - Berkshire's cash and Treasury bills reached a record $373 billion at the end of December, nearly tripling from around $130 billion at the end of 2022 [8] - This cash position now exceeds the market capitalizations of major companies such as Bank of America, General Electric, and Coca-Cola [8] Leadership Transition - Greg Abel, Berkshire's new CEO, stated he would not rush to distribute dividends or make acquisitions just to utilize the available cash [10] - The company faced a challenging fourth quarter, with operating earnings declining 30% year-on-year to $10.2 billion, primarily due to a significant drop in profits from its insurance unit [10][11]
Warren Buffett resisted a last-gasp shopping spree in his final weeks as Berkshire Hathaway CEO