Berkshire net down 40 percent on derivative losses
Posted by admin / Under Berkshire Hathaway
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) (BRKb.N) on Friday said second-quarter profit fell 40 percent, as declining stock prices depressed the value of his derivative contracts. Operating profit nevertheless soared 73 percent, helped by the takeover of railroad operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp, improvement in insurance underwriting results, and a turnaround in performance at the NetJets corporate plane unit. Net income fell to $1.97 billion, or $1,195 per Class A share, from $3.3 billion, or $2.123, a year earlier. Excluding investments, operating profit rose to $3.07 billion, or $1,866 per share, from $1.78 billion, or...
Published on Monday 6th of September 2010 10:00:11 PM
Buffett Defends Goldman; Berkshire Posts Profit
Posted by admin / Under Berkshire Hathaway
Warren Buffett offered a vigorous defense of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Saturday, saying the embattled firm hadn't engaged in improper activity and shouldn't be blamed for the losses of its clients. Goldman has been reeling from Securities and Exchange Commission allegations that the bank had engaged in fraudulent activities in relation to a mortgage deal called Abacus 2007-AC1. Goldman says it did nothing wrong. The billionaire investor said he fully supported Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein. Asked if he could choose a successor for Mr. Blankfein, Mr. Buffett said: "If Lloyd had a twin brother I'd go for him." Buffett also...
Published on Monday 6th of September 2010 10:00:11 PM
Hawker hit with large cancellation ( NetJets )
Posted by admin / Under Berkshire Hathaway
Hawker Beechcraft announced Monday that fractional ownership company NetJets has canceled a "significant" number of aircraft it had on order. The cancellations will reduce Hawker Beechcraft's backlog by $2.6 billion and represent 90 percent of the aircraft that NetJets has on order with Hawker Beechcraft. The planes were to have been delivered over several years beginning in 2011. So far this year, NetJets has canceled 12 aircraft it had on order and deferred delivery of all jets it was scheduled to receive this year and next until the end of 2010. Hawker Beechcraft has said that NetJets wasn't expected to...
Published on Monday 6th of September 2010 10:00:11 PM
NetJets Laying Off 500 Pilots
Posted by admin / Under Berkshire Hathaway
Demand for private jets is way down and NetJets will lay off almost 500 pilots as a result -- almost 20% of its staff of 3,000 pilots. because of a decrease in demand. NetJets is a unit of investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway
Published on Monday 6th of September 2010 10:00:11 PM
More Buffett And The Pigman
Posted by admin / Under Berkshire Hathaway
It seems my previous article has garnered a bit of criticism from someone I hold in rather high regard, indicating that perhaps I have been less than clear in my criticism. Let me be clear: There is nothing wrong with making a lot of money, and leveraging your wealth into making even more money! It doesn't surprise me that those with lots of money get "special dispensation" in the form of conversations with Treasury Secretaries and other members of the government. The "little people" - that is you and I - will never get that sort of treatment, simply because...
Published on Monday 6th of September 2010 10:00:11 PM
"Hawaii is not a state of mind, but a state of grace."
by Paul Theroux
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