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巴菲特继任者上任后酝酿首个大动作

若此次减持最终落地,这将标志着公司经营思路的重大转变。

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本月,沃伦·巴菲特的继任者酝酿着上任后的首个大动作。

卡夫亨氏(Kraft Heinz)周二向投资者发出警示:伯克希尔-哈撒韦或有意出售其持有的3.25亿股公司股票。2015年,在巴菲特的牵头下,这家知名食品巨头正式组建。这一消息是在向证券市场监管机构提交的文件中披露的。

彼时,巴菲特联手巴西投资机构3G资本(3G Capital)促成了卡夫(Kraft)与亨氏(Heinz)的合并。彼时的伯克希尔已持有亨氏股份,且巴菲特十分看好两大品牌的价值。如今,格雷格·阿贝尔(Greg Abel)或将另辟蹊径。

近年来,随着消费者愈发青睐超市自有品牌并远离加工食品,巴菲特逐渐意识到,卡夫亨氏围绕旗下品牌构建的护城河,远没有他当初预想的那般坚固。去年夏季,伯克希尔对其持有的卡夫亨氏股份计提了37.6亿美元减值。巴菲特去年秋季曾表示对卡夫亨氏拆分公司的计划感到失望。早在去年春季,伯克希尔派驻卡夫亨氏董事会的两名代表便已辞职。

在执掌伯克希尔的六十年里,即便对某家企业的前景感到失望,巴菲特也极少选择抛售已收购的资产。针对卡夫亨氏在文件中披露的其最大股东“或择机出售325442152股股票”这一消息,伯克希尔周二未作出回应。该消息公布后,卡夫亨氏股价应声下跌近4%,收于22.85美元。

目前尚无迹象表明伯克希尔已启动减持,但CFRA Research公司分析师凯西·塞弗特(Cathy Seifert)猜测,此举或许只是阿贝尔对伯克希尔多元化投资组合进行全面审查的开始。除了价值逾3000亿美元的庞大股票投资组合外,伯克希尔还持有包括美国政府雇员保险公司(Geico)在内的多家保险公司、数家公用事业公司、伯灵顿北方圣达菲铁路公司(BNSF),以及一大批业务领域各异的制造与零售企业。

塞弗特表示:“在我看来,阿贝尔的领导风格或将与巴菲特不同。若此次减持最终落地,这将标志着公司经营思路的重大转变。在巴菲特领导下,伯克希尔通常只进行收购,不进行剥离。我们认为,阿贝尔很可能会评估旗下所有子公司,并剥离那些未能达到其内部考核标准的公司。”

诚然,阿贝尔早已熟悉伯克希尔旗下多家企业——自2018年起,他就负责管理所有非保险业务。但直到今年1月1日,他才正式出任首席执行官。目前巴菲特仍担任公司董事长,投资者正密切关注这位新掌舵人将为这家历史悠久的综合企业集团带来哪些变革。

Check Capital董事总经理、投资人克里斯·巴拉德(Chris Ballard)表示:“对格雷格而言,抛售卡夫亨氏的股份或许是最容易实现的目标。对我们而言,即便伯克希尔最终清仓这笔持仓,我们也并不会感到惋惜。”

不过,由于持股体量过于庞大,伯克希尔要在公开市场完成全部抛售,绝非易事。因此,巴拉德猜测可能已有潜在的大型买家在幕后等待接盘。

巴菲特去年秋天表示,除非有买家对卡夫亨氏发起全面要约收购,否则伯克希尔不会接受针对其持股的单独要约收购。(财富中文网)

译者:中慧言-王芳

本月,沃伦·巴菲特的继任者酝酿着上任后的首个大动作。

卡夫亨氏(Kraft Heinz)周二向投资者发出警示:伯克希尔-哈撒韦或有意出售其持有的3.25亿股公司股票。2015年,在巴菲特的牵头下,这家知名食品巨头正式组建。这一消息是在向证券市场监管机构提交的文件中披露的。

彼时,巴菲特联手巴西投资机构3G资本(3G Capital)促成了卡夫(Kraft)与亨氏(Heinz)的合并。彼时的伯克希尔已持有亨氏股份,且巴菲特十分看好两大品牌的价值。如今,格雷格·阿贝尔(Greg Abel)或将另辟蹊径。

近年来,随着消费者愈发青睐超市自有品牌并远离加工食品,巴菲特逐渐意识到,卡夫亨氏围绕旗下品牌构建的护城河,远没有他当初预想的那般坚固。去年夏季,伯克希尔对其持有的卡夫亨氏股份计提了37.6亿美元减值。巴菲特去年秋季曾表示对卡夫亨氏拆分公司的计划感到失望。早在去年春季,伯克希尔派驻卡夫亨氏董事会的两名代表便已辞职。

在执掌伯克希尔的六十年里,即便对某家企业的前景感到失望,巴菲特也极少选择抛售已收购的资产。针对卡夫亨氏在文件中披露的其最大股东“或择机出售325442152股股票”这一消息,伯克希尔周二未作出回应。该消息公布后,卡夫亨氏股价应声下跌近4%,收于22.85美元。

目前尚无迹象表明伯克希尔已启动减持,但CFRA Research公司分析师凯西·塞弗特(Cathy Seifert)猜测,此举或许只是阿贝尔对伯克希尔多元化投资组合进行全面审查的开始。除了价值逾3000亿美元的庞大股票投资组合外,伯克希尔还持有包括美国政府雇员保险公司(Geico)在内的多家保险公司、数家公用事业公司、伯灵顿北方圣达菲铁路公司(BNSF),以及一大批业务领域各异的制造与零售企业。

塞弗特表示:“在我看来,阿贝尔的领导风格或将与巴菲特不同。若此次减持最终落地,这将标志着公司经营思路的重大转变。在巴菲特领导下,伯克希尔通常只进行收购,不进行剥离。我们认为,阿贝尔很可能会评估旗下所有子公司,并剥离那些未能达到其内部考核标准的公司。”

诚然,阿贝尔早已熟悉伯克希尔旗下多家企业——自2018年起,他就负责管理所有非保险业务。但直到今年1月1日,他才正式出任首席执行官。目前巴菲特仍担任公司董事长,投资者正密切关注这位新掌舵人将为这家历史悠久的综合企业集团带来哪些变革。

Check Capital董事总经理、投资人克里斯·巴拉德(Chris Ballard)表示:“对格雷格而言,抛售卡夫亨氏的股份或许是最容易实现的目标。对我们而言,即便伯克希尔最终清仓这笔持仓,我们也并不会感到惋惜。”

不过,由于持股体量过于庞大,伯克希尔要在公开市场完成全部抛售,绝非易事。因此,巴拉德猜测可能已有潜在的大型买家在幕后等待接盘。

巴菲特去年秋天表示,除非有买家对卡夫亨氏发起全面要约收购,否则伯克希尔不会接受针对其持股的单独要约收购。(财富中文网)

译者:中慧言-王芳

Warren Buffett’s successor appears to be considering his first significant move after taking over as CEO this month.

Kraft Heinz warned investors Tuesday that Berkshire Hathaway may be interested in selling its 325 million shares in the name brand food giant that Buffett helped create back in 2015. The news came in a filing with stock market regulators.

Buffett and the Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital orchestrated the merger of Kraft and Heinz back then because they already owned Heinz and believed in the power of their brands. Now Greg Abel may be plotting a different course.

Over the years since Buffett had come to realize that the company’s competitive moat around its brands wasn’t as strong as he thought as consumers have increasingly been willing to switch to store brands and move away from processed foods. Berkshire took a $3.76 billion writedown on its Kraft-Heinz stake last summer. Buffett said last fall that he was disappointed in Kraft Heinz’ plan to split the company in two, and Berkshire’s two representatives resigned from the Kraft board last spring.

But still it was rare for Buffett to unload an acquisition during his six decades leading Berkshire even when he soured on a business’ prospects. Berkshire didn’t respond to questions Tuesday about the filing where Kraft Heinz disclosed that its largest shareholder “may offer to sell, from time to time, 325,442,152 shares.” Kraft Heinz shares fell nearly 4% to $22.85 after the announcement.

There’s no sign Berkshire has started selling yet, but CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert wonders if this could be just the beginning of a comprehensive review of Berkshire’s varied holdings. In addition to its massive stock portfolio worth over $300 billion, Berkshire owns an assortment of insurers including Geico, several utilities, BNSF railroad and an eclectic mix of manufacturing and retail companies.

“My sense is that Greg Abel’s leadership style may be a departure from Buffett’s, and this sale, if completed, would represent a shift in corporate mindset,” Seifert said. “Berkshire under Buffett typically only made acquisitions- not divestitures. It’s not inconceivable, in our view, that Abel may likely assess every Berkshire subsidiary and decide to jettison those that do not meet his internal hurdles.“

Of course Abel already knows many of Berkshire’s companies well because he has been managing all of the non-insurance companies since 2018. But he only became CEO on Jan. 1. Buffett remains chairman, but investors are watching closely for any changes Abel might make at the venerable conglomerate.

Investor Chris Ballard, who is managing director at Check Capital, said “selling Kraft is probably the most low-hanging fruit for Greg. We personally wouldn’t be sad to see the holding go.”

But of course it would be bard for Berkshire to unload all of its shares on the public market because it is such a large stake, so Ballard said he wonders if there could be a large prospective buyer in the wings.

But Buffett said last fall that Berkshire wouldn’t accept a block bid for its shares unless the same offer was made to all Kraft Heinz shareholders.

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