
上周末,格雷格·阿贝尔作为伯克希尔-哈撒韦新任首席执行官,首次主持了年度股东大会。会场上座率仅约半数,整体氛围更务实,不过投资者对这位新任首席执行官评价总体正面。
沃伦·巴菲特曾执掌伯克希尔-哈撒韦长达60年,旗下拥有从Dairy Queen到Geico保险公司等庞大业务,如今正式交棒给阿贝尔。巴菲特仍担任董事长,为阿贝尔提供顾问支持。
今年的大会特别致敬了“奥马哈先知”的传奇生涯。现场悬挂着印有巴菲特姓氏和数字“60”的纪念球衣,代表他担任首席执行官的60年,一旁还悬挂着已故老搭档查理·芒格的球衣,数字45象征他在伯克希尔的45年。
阿贝尔1999年加入伯克希尔,2018年起全权掌管集团非保险业务。他表示,“两件纪念球衣将永久悬挂在会场穹顶。”
会议议程由阿贝尔主导,他端坐主席台,95岁高龄的巴菲特坐在台下观众席中。
以往,巴菲特和芒格每年都能吸引全球各地约4万名投资者齐聚奥马哈参会。很多投资者都是为了聆听二人经典的问答环节而来,其中既有专业的商业剖析,也不乏风趣幽默的即兴调侃。巴菲特分享伯克希尔经营思路之余,也经常自嘲酷爱垃圾食品的习惯,也会聊起芒格对开市客(Costco)的痴迷。
据美联社(Associated Press)报道,上周六阿贝尔首次接手主持大会时,奥马哈市中心的CHI健康中心上座率刚过半数。尽管如此,阿贝尔还是从容梳理了伯克希尔庞大的业务版图,话题涵盖克莱顿家园(Clayton Homes)售价24.9万美元的经济型组合式住宅,到伯克希尔能源部门如何依托数据中心蓬勃发展迎来新机遇。
他对集团各项业务的深入了解以及对细节精准把控,给资深投资者留下深刻印象。
“格雷格·阿贝尔充分展现了对旗下各公司以及股权投资的知识与热情,”马里兰大学(University of Maryland)金融学教授,已连续20年参会的大卫·卡斯对《财富》表示。
持有伯克希尔股票长达40年的卡斯认为,虽然没人能复刻巴菲特的智慧与风趣,但阿贝尔已证明自己完全胜任首席执行官一职。
“他行事风格更严肃,性格却和巴菲特一样谦和。以后伯克希尔股东大会上的幽默氛围会减少,娱乐性有所下降。但格雷格能从容应对所有股东提问,清晰解读集团各项业务的过往业绩与未来展望,”他表示。
伯克希尔股东,森普尔·奥古斯都投资公司(Semper Augustus Investments)总裁克里斯·布洛姆斯特兰也常年参加股东大会。他表示,巴菲特和芒格主持的股东大会是商业智慧与幽默“完美且不可复制的组合”。
但他也提到,阿贝尔业务复盘的细节相当详实,保险业务副董事长阿吉特·贾恩和货运铁路公司BNSF首席执行官凯蒂·法默等人一同发言,平复了投资者的担忧情绪。
“对于想了解伯克希尔多元业务布局的股东来说,格雷格主持的这场股东大会极其出色。我们期待格雷格、阿吉特、凯蒂和亚当·约翰逊从管理层视角,详细介绍如何应对竞争与运营难题,他们交出了完美的答卷,”布洛姆斯特兰说道。
“这绝对是近十年来,对伯克希尔业务剖析最深入的一次大会。”价值投资者社区“Good Investing”主持人,也是伯克希尔股东的蒂尔曼·韦尔施补充道。
伯克希尔同时公布了强劲的一季度财报,税后营业利润跃升18%,达到113.5亿美元。保险承保利润增长29%,达到17.2亿美元。
巴菲特时代或许难以复制,但本届年度股东大会让投资者们吃下定心丸,巴菲特亲自挑选的接班人,确实能扛起重任。
正如布洛姆斯特兰所言:“市场对格雷格接班巴菲特的疑虑已彻底打消。未来数十年,伯克希尔都掌握在极其可靠的人手中。”(财富中文网)
译者:梁宇
审校:夏林
上周末,格雷格·阿贝尔作为伯克希尔-哈撒韦新任首席执行官,首次主持了年度股东大会。会场上座率仅约半数,整体氛围更务实,不过投资者对这位新任首席执行官评价总体正面。
沃伦·巴菲特曾执掌伯克希尔-哈撒韦长达60年,旗下拥有从Dairy Queen到Geico保险公司等庞大业务,如今正式交棒给阿贝尔。巴菲特仍担任董事长,为阿贝尔提供顾问支持。
今年的大会特别致敬了“奥马哈先知”的传奇生涯。现场悬挂着印有巴菲特姓氏和数字“60”的纪念球衣,代表他担任首席执行官的60年,一旁还悬挂着已故老搭档查理·芒格的球衣,数字45象征他在伯克希尔的45年。
阿贝尔1999年加入伯克希尔,2018年起全权掌管集团非保险业务。他表示,“两件纪念球衣将永久悬挂在会场穹顶。”
会议议程由阿贝尔主导,他端坐主席台,95岁高龄的巴菲特坐在台下观众席中。
以往,巴菲特和芒格每年都能吸引全球各地约4万名投资者齐聚奥马哈参会。很多投资者都是为了聆听二人经典的问答环节而来,其中既有专业的商业剖析,也不乏风趣幽默的即兴调侃。巴菲特分享伯克希尔经营思路之余,也经常自嘲酷爱垃圾食品的习惯,也会聊起芒格对开市客(Costco)的痴迷。
据美联社(Associated Press)报道,上周六阿贝尔首次接手主持大会时,奥马哈市中心的CHI健康中心上座率刚过半数。尽管如此,阿贝尔还是从容梳理了伯克希尔庞大的业务版图,话题涵盖克莱顿家园(Clayton Homes)售价24.9万美元的经济型组合式住宅,到伯克希尔能源部门如何依托数据中心蓬勃发展迎来新机遇。
他对集团各项业务的深入了解以及对细节精准把控,给资深投资者留下深刻印象。
“格雷格·阿贝尔充分展现了对旗下各公司以及股权投资的知识与热情,”马里兰大学(University of Maryland)金融学教授,已连续20年参会的大卫·卡斯对《财富》表示。
持有伯克希尔股票长达40年的卡斯认为,虽然没人能复刻巴菲特的智慧与风趣,但阿贝尔已证明自己完全胜任首席执行官一职。
“他行事风格更严肃,性格却和巴菲特一样谦和。以后伯克希尔股东大会上的幽默氛围会减少,娱乐性有所下降。但格雷格能从容应对所有股东提问,清晰解读集团各项业务的过往业绩与未来展望,”他表示。
伯克希尔股东,森普尔·奥古斯都投资公司(Semper Augustus Investments)总裁克里斯·布洛姆斯特兰也常年参加股东大会。他表示,巴菲特和芒格主持的股东大会是商业智慧与幽默“完美且不可复制的组合”。
但他也提到,阿贝尔业务复盘的细节相当详实,保险业务副董事长阿吉特·贾恩和货运铁路公司BNSF首席执行官凯蒂·法默等人一同发言,平复了投资者的担忧情绪。
“对于想了解伯克希尔多元业务布局的股东来说,格雷格主持的这场股东大会极其出色。我们期待格雷格、阿吉特、凯蒂和亚当·约翰逊从管理层视角,详细介绍如何应对竞争与运营难题,他们交出了完美的答卷,”布洛姆斯特兰说道。
“这绝对是近十年来,对伯克希尔业务剖析最深入的一次大会。”价值投资者社区“Good Investing”主持人,也是伯克希尔股东的蒂尔曼·韦尔施补充道。
伯克希尔同时公布了强劲的一季度财报,税后营业利润跃升18%,达到113.5亿美元。保险承保利润增长29%,达到17.2亿美元。
巴菲特时代或许难以复制,但本届年度股东大会让投资者们吃下定心丸,巴菲特亲自挑选的接班人,确实能扛起重任。
正如布洛姆斯特兰所言:“市场对格雷格接班巴菲特的疑虑已彻底打消。未来数十年,伯克希尔都掌握在极其可靠的人手中。”(财富中文网)
译者:梁宇
审校:夏林
At Greg Abel’s first annual meeting as Berkshire Hathaway CEO this weekend, the arena was about half as full and the tone was more business-focused—but by and large, investors gave the new CEO a thumbs-up.
After 60 years as CEO of the conglomerate that owns everything from Dairy Queen to insurer Geico, Warren Buffett handed over the reins to Abel but is advising him and still serving as chairman.
This year, the meeting celebrated the Oracle of Omaha’s legacy by hanging a jersey bearing his last name and the number 60, representing his time as CEO, alongside a jersey for the late Charlie Munger, with the number 45, which represented his time at Berkshire.
Abel, a Berkshire veteran who joined the company in 1999 and oversaw all its noninsurance businesses starting in 2018, said “both those jerseys will remain in the rafters for the years to come.”
When it came to the business of the meeting, it was clear that Abel was the one running the show, sitting onstage while Buffett, 95, sat in the crowd.
Buffett and Munger regularly attracted 40,000 attendees from all over the world to Berkshire annual meetings in Omaha. Many investors showed up for the duo’s famous Q&A sessions that covered the business, but often included bouts of comedy. In between Buffett’s thoughts on Berkshire’s operations, the longtime CEO also joked about his junk food-heavy diet and Munger’s obsession with Costco.
On Saturday, when Abel took charge of the meeting for the first time, the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha was just over half full as the event started, the Associated Press reported. Still, Abel deftly explained the breadth of Berkshire’s businesses and covered everything from Clayton Homes’ affordable $249,000 “cross-mod” homes to the opportunity that exists for Berkshire’s energy division to capitalize on the proliferation of data centers.
His knowledge of the conglomerate’s businesses and command of details impressed longtime investors.
“Greg Abel demonstrated his knowledge of and passion for running all of Berkshire’s companies as well as its equity investments,” David Kass, a University of Maryland finance professor who attended this year’s annual meeting as he has for the past 20 years, told Fortune.
Kass, who has owned Berkshire stock for 40 years, said while nobody can match Buffett’s wisdom and wit, Abel has now demonstrated his competency as CEO.
“He is more serious in demeanor, but like Warren he is very pleasant. Since there will be less humor at future Berkshire meetings, they will be less entertaining. But Greg will be able to respond well to all shareholder questions and discuss the past performance and outlook for all of Berkshire’s businesses,” he said.
Another longtime annual meeting attendee, Chris Bloomstran, the president of Berkshire investor Semper Augustus Investments, said the meetings run by Buffett and Munger were an “irreplaceable mix” of business knowledge and humor.
But he added that Abel settled the nerves of concerned investors with a detail-heavy overview featuring remarks by Ajit Jain, insurance operations vice chairman, as well as Katie Farmer, the CEO of freight rail company BNSF.
“For the shareholders interested in the myriad operations of Berkshire, Greg ran an outstanding business meeting. We wanted an overview heavy on detail from Greg, Ajit, Katie, and Adam [Johnson] on how management is attacking competitive and operational challenges, and they delivered perfectly,” Bloomstran said.
“This was definitely the meeting with the deepest insights into Berkshire’s businesses in the last decade,” added Tilman Versch, a shareholder and host of the Good Investing community for value investors.
Berkshire reported strong results in its first quarter-earnings, with operating earnings after taxes jumping 18% to $11.35 billion. The company’s insurance underwriting profits increased 29% to $1.72 billion.
While the Buffett era may be impossible to replicate, this weekend’s annual meeting assured investors that the longtime CEO’s pick for the top job was the right one.
As Bloomstran put it, “Any concerns about Greg taking over for Warren were absolutely put to rest. Berkshire is in terrific hands for the decades to come.”