Berkshire Hathaway
Vice Chairman Charlie Munger said that Berkshire stock is a “pretty damn good bet” and that it’s unlikely the company will be broken up for “a long, long time.”
Speaking at the annual meeting of the
Daily Journal
(ticker: DJCO), Munger, the company’s chairman, said that ”With all factors considered and with Berkshire buying in its shares when they are reasonably priced, Berkshire is a pretty damn good bet for shareholders to hold for the long term in the future…it works pretty damn well.”
Munger also said: “Berkshire won’t be as good as it was in the past, but will be OK considering how poorly everything else is going to do.” The
Daily Journal
‘s annual meeting is being live-streamed on CNBC on Wednesday afternoon.
Asked by CNBC anchor Becky Quick why other investments will fare poorly, Munger said: “Because valuations are starting higher and government is so hostile to business.”
A longtime
Berkshire Hathaway
(BRK/A, BRK/B) shareholder asked Munger about what the shareholder termed an “irritating” Barron’s article that said Berkshire shareholders could benefit from a corporate breakup when Buffett is no longer around. Munger said: “I don’t think it’s at all likely that it will be broken up for a long, long time.” He said a breakup could lead to a big tax bill.
Warren Buffett, Berkshire’s CEO, is opposed to breaking up the conglomerate.
Barron’s has argued that Berkshire shareholders could benefit from a breakup in the post-Buffett era because the sum of its parts could be worth more than the stock price.
Berkshire’s Class B shares are down 0.6% to $308.84 in afternoon trading.
Write to Andrew Bary at andrew.bary@barrons.com
Credit: marketwatch.com