Core Insights - Berkshire Hathaway is acquiring Occidental Petroleum's chemical unit, OxyChem, for $9.7 billion in cash, marking its largest deal in three years just before Warren Buffett's retirement as CEO [1][9] - Berkshire has significantly increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum, reaching 32.7% by August 2025, making it the sixth-largest holding in its portfolio [2] - The acquisition focuses solely on OxyChem, a key manufacturer of chemicals, rather than full control of Occidental [3] Financial Performance - OxyChem generated $1.1 billion in operating income for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, contributing approximately 16% to Occidental's total income [6] - Occidental's capital expenditures for OxyChem are projected to rise by $200 million to $900 million in 2025, indicating a commitment to growth in this segment [6] Debt and Financial Strategy - The sale of OxyChem will provide Occidental with $6.5 billion to repay debt, enhancing its balance sheet and allowing for potential share repurchases and dividend growth [7] - Occidental's debt concerns have been exacerbated by its $12 billion acquisition of CrownRock in 2024, primarily financed through borrowing [7] Market Implications - The divestiture of OxyChem will position Occidental as a more focused oil and gas company, increasing its vulnerability to fluctuations in commodity prices [8]

Group 1 - Berkshire Hathaway is officially acquiring Occidental's chemical business, OxyChem, in an all-cash deal valued at $9.7 billion [1] - Occidental currently has a debt load of approximately $22 billion and aims to reduce it to $15 billion [2] - Berkshire Hathaway is the largest shareholder in Occidental and this acquisition allows them to take full control of OxyChem [2] Group 2 - Following the announcement, Occidental's shares increased by just under 1%, with prior reports of the deal contributing to a rise in share prices over the last few days [3] - The CEO of Occidental, Vicky Haliburton, is expected to provide further insights in an upcoming live segment [3]

Group 1 - Berkshire will acquire the chemical business in an all-cash transaction [1]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the stability and reliability of dividends from Singapore's blue-chip companies, highlighting the appeal of consistent cash returns amidst market volatility [1][2] Company Summaries Hongkong Land (SGX: H02) - Hongkong Land reported a strong recovery in 1H2025, achieving an underlying profit of US$297 million, a significant turnaround from a US$7 million loss in the previous year [3] - Excluding non-cash provisions, underlying profit increased by 11% YoY to US$320 million, driven by residential completions in Singapore and reduced provisions in China [4] - The company declared an interim dividend of US$0.06 per share, maintaining the same level as the prior year, reflecting confidence in its financial health [5] Jardine Matheson (SGX: J36) - Jardine Matheson experienced a 1% YoY decline in revenue to US$17.1 billion, primarily due to weak auto sales in Indonesia, but underlying profit attributable surged by 45% to US$798 million [7] - The profit increase was supported by strong performances from DFI Retail and Jardine Pacific, alongside an 11% gain from Hongkong Land's residential completions [8] - The company maintained its interim dividend at US$0.60 per share, with a robust financial position evidenced by a reduction in net debt to US$9.7 billion [9] Singapore Exchange (SGX: S63) - Singapore Exchange reported record revenue of S$1.3 billion for FY2025, an 11.7% increase YoY, with growth across all business segments [11] - Free cash flow surged by 40.3% to S$773.6 million, indicating improved operational efficiency [12] - The company proposed a final quarterly dividend of S$0.105, raising the total for FY2025 to S$0.375 per share, an 8.7% increase from the previous year [13]

Core Viewpoint - Warren Buffett's investment philosophy emphasizes holding outstanding businesses indefinitely, with a focus on companies like American Express and Coca-Cola as prime examples of "forever stocks" [1][3]. Group 1: Buffett's Forever Stocks - Buffett has invested approximately $138 billion in nine "forever stocks," with American Express and Coca-Cola being the longest-held [1][3]. - In his 2023 shareholder letter, Buffett added Occidental Petroleum to his "forever" list, highlighting its significant oil and gas holdings and advancements in carbon capture technology [3]. - The other five stocks included in Buffett's list are Japanese trading houses: Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Sumitomo, noted for their diversified business models [4]. Group 2: Performance Comparison - Over the last five years, Apple has outperformed all other stocks, while Occidental Petroleum has been the biggest winner among the group [7]. - Analysts project Occidental Petroleum will deliver the highest earnings growth next year, although the five Japanese stocks are not covered by analysts [7]. Group 3: Dividend Yields - Sumitomo offers the highest dividend yield at 3.33%, followed closely by Coca-Cola and Mitsubishi with yields of 3.09% [8]. - Coca-Cola is recognized as a "Dividend King," having increased its dividends for 63 consecutive years [8]. Group 4: Valuation Metrics - Sumitomo has the lowest forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio at 8.98, with Marubeni following at 11.65 [9]. Group 5: Overall Assessment - Marubeni ranks highly in both performance and valuation, with a dividend yield of 2.84% [10]. - Despite a reduced position in Apple, its long-term growth potential remains promising, particularly with rumors of new product introductions like a foldable iPhone and advancements in smart glasses and AI [11][12]. - Berkshire Hathaway maintains a significant stake in Apple, suggesting Buffett's continued confidence in the company [13].

Given the plausibility of the plan to rekindle long-term growth, it's surprising that GIS shares can be bought for less than 14 times this year's expected earnings. Better still, you're plugging into a stock with a forward-looking dividend yield of 4.9%. And that's based on a well-protected dividend , by the way, that's been paid like clockwork for over a century -- one of the upshots of selling goods that consumers always need.The company's finally got a compelling comprehensive turnaround plan, though, th ...

Microsoft - Microsoft has a significant backlog of remaining performance obligations in its cloud business, driven by growing demand from AI developers for computational power, while its enterprise software business continues to provide stable cash flow and support for new data center investments [1][2] - The Azure cloud computing segment has reached a valuation of $75 billion, growing 39% year over year in fiscal 2025's fourth quarter, with management indicating that growth will continue despite supply constraints [2] - Microsoft is planning to spend a record $30 billion in capital expenditures this quarter [1] Gates Foundation - The Gates Foundation remains the largest holder of Microsoft shares, with 26,191,207 shares valued at approximately $13.4 billion as of the end of June [4] - Bill Gates has donated $5 billion in 2022 and previously pledged $15 billion in 2021 to fund the foundation's efforts, which has a portfolio worth about $48 billion, with over two-thirds invested in three major stocks [4][5] - The investment strategy of the Gates Foundation is heavily influenced by Warren Buffett, who has been a longtime friend of Gates [7] Berkshire Hathaway - Berkshire Hathaway constitutes 25% of the Gates Foundation's trust fund, with a current holding of 24,123,684 shares valued at $11.8 billion [9][10] - The stock has seen a decline in value since May due to Buffett's announcement of retirement, leading to reduced investor confidence [11] - Despite this, Berkshire's operating results have been strong, with operating earnings exceeding expectations [12] Waste Management - Waste Management represents 15% of the Gates Foundation's trust, with 32,234,344 shares valued at about $7 billion [14] - The company has a strong competitive position due to regulatory hurdles that limit new landfill openings, making its existing assets highly valuable [16] - Waste Management reported an EBITDA margin of 29.9% last quarter, with overall EBITDA growth of 19%, reflecting strong organic growth despite challenges from a newly acquired business segment [17][18]

Core Insights - Berkshire Hathaway has achieved remarkable long-term investment success, with returns exceeding 5,500,000% since Warren Buffett took control in the 1960s [1] - Buffett has cautioned that future returns will not match the extraordinary performance of the past 50 years due to the sheer size of the investment [2] Performance Analysis - A $10,000 investment in Berkshire Hathaway five years ago would now be worth approximately $22,300, reflecting a total return of 123% or an annualized return of over 17% [4] - During the same period, the S&P 500 produced a total return of 110%, or about 16% annualized, indicating that Berkshire outperformed the market while maintaining lower volatility with a beta of 0.77 [5]

Core Insights - Warren Buffett has not purchased shares of his favorite stock for at least 13 months, while increasing his stake in Sirius XM Holdings to 37.1% [1][10][15] - Berkshire Hathaway's Class A shares have appreciated nearly 5,940,000% over 60 years, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 44,000% increase [2] - Buffett's investment strategy focuses on companies with sustainable competitive advantages, which Sirius XM possesses as a legal monopoly in satellite radio [16] Company Overview - Sirius XM Holdings is a satellite-radio operator that has become a focal point for Buffett, who has added over 5 million shares recently, bringing Berkshire's total to approximately 124.8 million shares [15] - The company holds a unique position in the market, being the sole holder of satellite-radio licenses, which provides it with pricing power that traditional radio providers lack [16] Financial Performance - Sirius XM generates a significant portion of its revenue from subscriptions (76.8%) compared to traditional radio operators, which rely heavily on advertising [18] - The company's predictable cost structure contributes to stable operating cash flow, making it less susceptible to economic downturns [19] - Sirius XM's forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is notably low at 7.6, especially in the context of the S&P 500's high valuation levels [20]

Group 1 - The combined net worth of the world's three richest individuals, Larry Ellison, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg, is approximately $1 trillion, comparable to the market capitalization of Berkshire Hathaway [1][2] - The Federal Reserve is expected to cut its current funds rate range of 4.25% to 4.50% by a quarter point, with forecasts suggesting further cuts could lower the rate to 3% to 3.25% by Christmas 2026 [3] - The S&P 500 is projected to potentially exceed 7,000 by the end of the year, indicating a near-6% gain, driven by the performance of major tech firms [3] Group 2 - Berkshire Hathaway has accumulated a cash and equivalents war chest of $344 billion and has been a net seller of stocks for 11 consecutive quarters, reflecting Warren Buffett's strategy of waiting for more favorable valuations [4] - A potential one-point rate cut by the Fed could lead to a $3 billion reduction in Berkshire's annual interest income, equating to a 5% decrease in its operating profit [4] - Despite a significant equity portfolio valued at $300 billion, including a $66 billion stake in Apple, Berkshire's recent net selling could result in missed opportunities if investors favor technology investments [4]