Berkshire Hathaway’s Recent Investments and Share Repurchases: Insights from Warren Buffett’s Annual Meeting

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has been making headlines recently with its investments in the oil and energy industry. The conglomerate now holds a roughly 22.1% stake in Occidental Petroleum, and has purchased 211.7 million shares of the company since the start of 2022. This move has sparked speculation about Berkshire Hathaway's future investment strategy, particularly in light of the current economic climate.

Buffett himself has addressed some of this speculation, stating that share repurchases may be the primary option for working down cash balances, as valuations are still inadequate for the publicly traded and privately held companies Berkshire prefers to acquire or invest in.[0] This commitment to share repurchases has been exemplified by the average of $6.2 billion in quarterly share repurchases during 2020, $6.8 billion in quarterly share repurchases during 2021, and just $2.0 billion during 2022.[0] This move towards buybacks has been necessitated by the increasingly challenging public market valuations, which have made it more difficult for Buffett to identify promising acquisitions.[1]

Despite these challenges, Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting remains a highly anticipated event for shareholders and those interested in the investment world.[2] This year's meeting saw tens of thousands of shareholders make the pilgrimage to Omaha to hear Buffett and Charlie Munger speak.[3] Among the topics discussed were the company's investments in the oil and energy industry, as well as the wider economic decline that is expected to impact the majority of Berkshire Hathaway's businesses this year.

Another topic that was touched upon at the annual meeting was the messaging around the current economic crisis, with Buffett criticizing both politicians and the press for poor messaging. He suggested that fear is contagious, and that consumers' fears about the safety of their banking institutions are making it difficult to respond to the crisis effectively.[4]

Overall, Berkshire Hathaway's recent investments in the oil and energy industry, as well as its commitment to share repurchases, reflect the challenges faced by investors in today's economic climate. Despite these challenges, however, the company remains a major player in the investment world, and its annual meeting continues to draw significant attention from shareholders and investors alike.

0. “10 Questions for Berkshire Hathaway's 2023 Annual Meeting” Morningstar, 4 May. 2023, https://www.morningstar.com/articles/1154906/10-questions-for-berkshire-hathaways-2023-annual-meeting

1. “Warren Buffett says it’s been an ‘incredible period’ for the economy but that’s coming to an end” Fortune, 6 May. 2023, https://fortune.com/2023/05/06/warren-buffett-economic-outlook-berkshire-hathaway-lower-earnings-recession-economy

2. “Live From Berkshire Hathaway: Warren Buffett Says ‘There Will Always Be Investment Opportunities’” Yahoo Finance, 6 May. 2023, https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live-berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-225351101.html

3. “Berkshire's Youngest Shareholders Vie for Chance to Question Warren Buffett” The Wall Street Journal, 6 May. 2023, https://www.wsj.com/articles/berkshires-youngest-shareholders-vie-for-chance-to-question-warren-buffett-4902ae42

4. “Warren Buffett on banking system woes: “Fear is contagious.”” Axios, 6 May. 2023, https://www.axios.com/2023/05/06/berkshire-hathaway-buffett-banking

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