Skip to headerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
Get our Free E-newslettersGet our Free E-newsletters
Kiplinger logoLink to homepage
Get our Free E-newslettersGet our Free E-newsletters
Subscribe to Kiplinger
Subscribe to Kiplinger
Save up to 76%
Subscribe
Subscribe to Kiplinger
  • Store
  • Home
  • Investing
  • Retirement
  • Taxes
  • Personal Finance
  • Your Business
  • Wealth Creation
  • More
    • Podcasts
    • Economic Outlooks
    • Tools
  • My Kiplinger
    • Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine
    • The Kiplinger Letter
    • The Kiplinger Tax Letter
    • Kiplinger's Investing for Income
    • Kiplinger's Retirement Report
    • Store
    • Manage My E-Newsletters
    • My Subscriptions
  • Home
  • investing
investing

3 Reasons (Other Than Warren Buffett) to Buy Berkshire Stock

Shares in Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (symbols BRK.A and BRK.B) enjoyed a market-beating 2016.

by: Dan Burrows
February 7, 2017

iStock

Shares in Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (symbols BRK.A and BRK.B) enjoyed a market-beating 2016. The lower-priced and more actively traded Class B shares surged 23.4% last year, compared with a 9.5% gain for Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index. Some who follow the company think investors can look forward to more of the same this year.

"We expect the outperformance to continue in 2017 as the outlook for [Berkshire's] major segments improves and upside remains from corporate tax reform and infrastructure spending," wrote UBS analyst Brian Meredith in a recent research note.

Buffett’s decades-long track record of success is reason enough to invest in Berkshire, but the 86-year-old won't be around forever. (Buffett’s successor has been chosen, according to the company, though the identity of the pick hasn’t been revealed publicly.) So here are three good reasons other than Buffett to invest in Berkshire Hathaway's stock right now.

1 of 3

Gains in Its Non-Insurance Businesses

iStock

Berkshire is a conglomerate that owns dozens of businesses. Among the most notable is Geico, the popular auto insurer. But its non­insurance businesses have become much more important to the bottom line. According to UBS, non-insurance businesses – everything from railroads to specialty manufacturers – have gone from accounting for less than 5% of pretax earnings a decade ago to almost 75% today.

Conditions are ripe for Berkshire’s so-called Powerhouse Six non-insurance businesses to perform well in 2017, says David Kass, a professor at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business who studies Buffett and is a Berkshire shareholder.

"The 'Powerhouse Six,' which consists of its BNSF railroad [Burlington Northern Santa Fe], Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Marmon, Lubrizol, IMC and Precision Castparts, represent the bulk of its non-insurance earnings," Kass says. "BNSF results should improve in 2017 with increasing rail volumes. Manufacturing operations should also improve along with the energy sector and the improving economy in 2017."

 

  • 10 Stocks Every Retiree Should Own

2 of 3

Some Better Results in Insurance, Too

iStock

As diversified as Berkshire is, its insurance businesses, led by Geico, are still critical to its financial health. Although the auto insurer struggled in 2016, the business is moving in the right direction. "We foresee results improving at Geico as rate increases continue," according to UBS, which noted that revenue increased 13.6% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2016, after averaging 11.5% quarterly growth in the first half of the year.

Meanwhile, Berkshire Hathaway Re continues to find opportunities in the reinsurance market, which involves selling insurance to other insurers to mitigate risk. American International Group (AIG), for example, recently paid Berkshire about $10 billion to take responsibility for some AIG insurance claims if they run unexpectedly high.

 

  • 5 Telecom Stocks Paying Big Dividends

3 of 3

The Share Price Is Right

iStock

UBS says the market is not pricing in the improving outlook for Berkshire's various operating segments. Kass agrees: "At Berkshire Hathaway's current price of about $240,000 per Class A share, it is being valued by the market at less than 1.5 times its book value, which is below its 30-year historical average of 1.6." Book value (assets minus liabilities) is Buffett's preferred measure of Berkshire's performance.

The three analysts tracked by Zacks Investment Research who follow Berkshire have a "strong buy" recommendation on the stock. The Class B shares ended trading on January 26 at $164.92.

Kass adds that Berkshire has at least $65 billion available for one or more large acquisitions in 2017, which could add substantially to its profits this year and beyond. In 2016, Berkshire acquired manufacturer Precision Castparts in a deal valued at $37.2 billion.

 

  • 10 Best Dividend-Paying Stocks for 2017
  • investing
  • bonds
Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

Recommended

Bonds: 10 Things You Need to Know
Investing for Income

Bonds: 10 Things You Need to Know

Bonds can be more complex than stocks, but it's not hard to become a knowledgeable fixed-income investor.
July 22, 2020
Is the Stock Market Open on Inauguration Day 2021?
Markets

Is the Stock Market Open on Inauguration Day 2021?

The federal government will enjoy an off day on Inauguration Day, but the stock and bond markets alike will conduct business as usual.
January 19, 2021
3 Municipal Bond Funds for Rich, Tax-Friendly Yields
Investing for Income

3 Municipal Bond Funds for Rich, Tax-Friendly Yields

Municipal bond funds allow you to enjoy the benefits of tax-exempt income. By investing in CEFs, you can sweeten the pot even further.
December 31, 2020
Stock Market Holidays in 2021
Markets

Stock Market Holidays in 2021

Is the stock market open today? Take a look at which days the NYSE, Nasdaq and bond markets take off in 2021.
December 30, 2020

Most Popular

How a Third Stimulus Check Could Differ From the First and Second Payments
Coronavirus and Your Money

How a Third Stimulus Check Could Differ From the First and Second Payments

There's a big push in Washington for a third round of stimulus payments. But the amount and eligibility rules for your third stimulus check could be d…
January 27, 2021
Where's My Stimulus Check? Use the IRS's "Get My Payment" Portal to Get an Answer
Coronavirus and Your Money

Where's My Stimulus Check? Use the IRS's "Get My Payment" Portal to Get an Answer

The IRS has an online tool that lets you track the status of your second stimulus check.
January 18, 2021
When Could We Get a Third Stimulus Check?
Coronavirus and Your Money

When Could We Get a Third Stimulus Check?

President Biden and others in Congress are pushing for a third-round of stimulus checks, but it might be a while before we get them.
January 20, 2021
  • Customer Service
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us (PDF)
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Kiplinger Careers
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Preferences

Subscribe to Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Save up to 76%Subscribe to Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Dennis Publishing Ltd logoLink to Dennis Publishing Ltd website
Do Not Sell My Information

The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc., is part of the Dennis Publishing Ltd. Group.
All Contents © 2021, The Kiplinger Washington Editors

Follow us on InstagramFollow us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterConnect on LinkedInConnect on YouTube