UPDATE 1-Buffett s Berkshire buys Aon, slashes Chevron and Wells Fargo Reuters 5 hrs ago
By Jonathan Stempel
May 17 (Reuters) - Berkshire Hathaway Inc said on Monday it has taken a $943 million stake in insurance brokerage Aon Plc and sold large portions of its investments in Chevron Corp and Wells Fargo & Co.
The changes were disclosed in a regulatory filing detailing Berkshire s U.S.-listed holdings as of March 31.
Berkshire also shed two smaller holdings entirely, Canada s Suncor Energy Inc and private label credit card issuer Synchrony Financial Inc.
The sales suggest that Buffett and his investment managers Todd Combs and Ted Weschler may be growing more wary of valuations as stocks regularly set new highs.
Buffett s Berkshire buys Aon, slashes Chevron and Wells Fargo
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In the past, Buffett has declined to name the next CEO except to say that one of Berkshire s managers would take the job, but Abel was seen as a likely candidate. Buffett has said he wants the next CEO to have a long tenure leading the conglomerate and Abel is currently 59.
Buffett has named two investment managers who already help manage the portfolio and said that his oldest son, Howard Buffett, who already serves on Berkshire s board, is likely to become the company s next chairman.
It s clear that Berkshire values the contributions of Abel and Jain because both men received $19 million in compensation last year. That s well above the $100,000 salary Buffett has received for more than 25 years.
Abel, who is now vice president of non-insurance operations at Berkshire Hathaway, travels often, yet still manages to coach his kids’ hockey, baseball and soccer teams, says Jim Cownie, a former cable executive and Iowa real estate investor.
“How does a guy with that much responsibility do that? He just figures out a way,” Cownie said. “He’s an amazing human being.”
Abel will succeed the 90-year-old Buffett as CEO.
Buffett confirmed the succession plan Monday to CNBC after Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger let details of it slip during the Omaha, Nebraska-based company s annual meeting on Saturday.
In an exchange with Munger, Buffett said Berkshire s extremely decentralized operating model wouldn t work unless the company has the right culture.
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OMAHA, Neb. – Vice Chairman Greg Abel will succeed billionaire Warren Buffett as Berkshire Hathaway CEO, according to a report.
Buffett confirmed the succession plan Monday to CNBC after Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger let slip the plan during the company s annual meeting Saturday.
The 90-year-old Buffett told CNBC that if anything happened to him, Abel, who currently oversees all of Berkshire s non-insurance companies, would be the one to take the top post. Buffett said that if for some reason Abel couldn t do the job, then Vice Chairman Ajit Jain, who oversees Geico and all of Berkshire s other insurance units, would become CEO.
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