本月,沃倫·巴菲特的繼任者醞釀著上任后的首個(gè)大動(dòng)作。
卡夫亨氏(Kraft Heinz)周二向投資者發(fā)出警示:伯克希爾-哈撒韋或有意出售其持有的3.25億股公司股票。2015年,在巴菲特的牽頭下,這家知名食品巨頭正式組建。這一消息是在向證券市場(chǎng)監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)提交的文件中披露的。
彼時(shí),巴菲特聯(lián)手巴西投資機(jī)構(gòu)3G資本(3G Capital)促成了卡夫(Kraft)與亨氏(Heinz)的合并。彼時(shí)的伯克希爾已持有亨氏股份,且巴菲特十分看好兩大品牌的價(jià)值。如今,格雷格·阿貝爾(Greg Abel)或?qū)⒘肀脔鑿健?/p>
近年來(lái),隨著消費(fèi)者愈發(fā)青睞超市自有品牌并遠(yuǎn)離加工食品,巴菲特逐漸意識(shí)到,卡夫亨氏圍繞旗下品牌構(gòu)建的護(hù)城河,遠(yuǎn)沒(méi)有他當(dāng)初預(yù)想的那般堅(jiān)固。去年夏季,伯克希爾對(duì)其持有的卡夫亨氏股份計(jì)提了37.6億美元減值。巴菲特去年秋季曾表示對(duì)卡夫亨氏拆分公司的計(jì)劃感到失望。早在去年春季,伯克希爾派駐卡夫亨氏董事會(huì)的兩名代表便已辭職。
在執(zhí)掌伯克希爾的六十年里,即便對(duì)某家企業(yè)的前景感到失望,巴菲特也極少選擇拋售已收購(gòu)的資產(chǎn)。針對(duì)卡夫亨氏在文件中披露的其最大股東“或擇機(jī)出售325442152股股票”這一消息,伯克希爾周二未作出回應(yīng)。該消息公布后,卡夫亨氏股價(jià)應(yīng)聲下跌近4%,收于22.85美元。
目前尚無(wú)跡象表明伯克希爾已啟動(dòng)減持,但CFRA Research公司分析師凱西·塞弗特(Cathy Seifert)猜測(cè),此舉或許只是阿貝爾對(duì)伯克希爾多元化投資組合進(jìn)行全面審查的開(kāi)始。除了價(jià)值逾3000億美元的龐大股票投資組合外,伯克希爾還持有包括美國(guó)政府雇員保險(xiǎn)公司(Geico)在內(nèi)的多家保險(xiǎn)公司、數(shù)家公用事業(yè)公司、伯靈頓北方圣達(dá)菲鐵路公司(BNSF),以及一大批業(yè)務(wù)領(lǐng)域各異的制造與零售企業(yè)。
塞弗特表示:“在我看來(lái),阿貝爾的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)風(fēng)格或?qū)⑴c巴菲特不同。若此次減持最終落地,這將標(biāo)志著公司經(jīng)營(yíng)思路的重大轉(zhuǎn)變。在巴菲特領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下,伯克希爾通常只進(jìn)行收購(gòu),不進(jìn)行剝離。我們認(rèn)為,阿貝爾很可能會(huì)評(píng)估旗下所有子公司,并剝離那些未能達(dá)到其內(nèi)部考核標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的公司。”
誠(chéng)然,阿貝爾早已熟悉伯克希爾旗下多家企業(yè)——自2018年起,他就負(fù)責(zé)管理所有非保險(xiǎn)業(yè)務(wù)。但直到今年1月1日,他才正式出任首席執(zhí)行官。目前巴菲特仍擔(dān)任公司董事長(zhǎng),投資者正密切關(guān)注這位新掌舵人將為這家歷史悠久的綜合企業(yè)集團(tuán)帶來(lái)哪些變革。
Check Capital董事總經(jīng)理、投資人克里斯·巴拉德(Chris Ballard)表示:“對(duì)格雷格而言,拋售卡夫亨氏的股份或許是最容易實(shí)現(xiàn)的目標(biāo)。對(duì)我們而言,即便伯克希爾最終清倉(cāng)這筆持倉(cāng),我們也并不會(huì)感到惋惜。”
不過(guò),由于持股體量過(guò)于龐大,伯克希爾要在公開(kāi)市場(chǎng)完成全部拋售,絕非易事。因此,巴拉德猜測(cè)可能已有潛在的大型買家在幕后等待接盤。
巴菲特去年秋天表示,除非有買家對(duì)卡夫亨氏發(fā)起全面要約收購(gòu),否則伯克希爾不會(huì)接受針對(duì)其持股的單獨(dú)要約收購(gòu)。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
本月,沃倫·巴菲特的繼任者醞釀著上任后的首個(gè)大動(dòng)作。
卡夫亨氏(Kraft Heinz)周二向投資者發(fā)出警示:伯克希爾-哈撒韋或有意出售其持有的3.25億股公司股票。2015年,在巴菲特的牽頭下,這家知名食品巨頭正式組建。這一消息是在向證券市場(chǎng)監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)提交的文件中披露的。
彼時(shí),巴菲特聯(lián)手巴西投資機(jī)構(gòu)3G資本(3G Capital)促成了卡夫(Kraft)與亨氏(Heinz)的合并。彼時(shí)的伯克希爾已持有亨氏股份,且巴菲特十分看好兩大品牌的價(jià)值。如今,格雷格·阿貝爾(Greg Abel)或?qū)⒘肀脔鑿健?/p>
近年來(lái),隨著消費(fèi)者愈發(fā)青睞超市自有品牌并遠(yuǎn)離加工食品,巴菲特逐漸意識(shí)到,卡夫亨氏圍繞旗下品牌構(gòu)建的護(hù)城河,遠(yuǎn)沒(méi)有他當(dāng)初預(yù)想的那般堅(jiān)固。去年夏季,伯克希爾對(duì)其持有的卡夫亨氏股份計(jì)提了37.6億美元減值。巴菲特去年秋季曾表示對(duì)卡夫亨氏拆分公司的計(jì)劃感到失望。早在去年春季,伯克希爾派駐卡夫亨氏董事會(huì)的兩名代表便已辭職。
在執(zhí)掌伯克希爾的六十年里,即便對(duì)某家企業(yè)的前景感到失望,巴菲特也極少選擇拋售已收購(gòu)的資產(chǎn)。針對(duì)卡夫亨氏在文件中披露的其最大股東“或擇機(jī)出售325442152股股票”這一消息,伯克希爾周二未作出回應(yīng)。該消息公布后,卡夫亨氏股價(jià)應(yīng)聲下跌近4%,收于22.85美元。
目前尚無(wú)跡象表明伯克希爾已啟動(dòng)減持,但CFRA Research公司分析師凱西·塞弗特(Cathy Seifert)猜測(cè),此舉或許只是阿貝爾對(duì)伯克希爾多元化投資組合進(jìn)行全面審查的開(kāi)始。除了價(jià)值逾3000億美元的龐大股票投資組合外,伯克希爾還持有包括美國(guó)政府雇員保險(xiǎn)公司(Geico)在內(nèi)的多家保險(xiǎn)公司、數(shù)家公用事業(yè)公司、伯靈頓北方圣達(dá)菲鐵路公司(BNSF),以及一大批業(yè)務(wù)領(lǐng)域各異的制造與零售企業(yè)。
塞弗特表示:“在我看來(lái),阿貝爾的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)風(fēng)格或?qū)⑴c巴菲特不同。若此次減持最終落地,這將標(biāo)志著公司經(jīng)營(yíng)思路的重大轉(zhuǎn)變。在巴菲特領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下,伯克希爾通常只進(jìn)行收購(gòu),不進(jìn)行剝離。我們認(rèn)為,阿貝爾很可能會(huì)評(píng)估旗下所有子公司,并剝離那些未能達(dá)到其內(nèi)部考核標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的公司。”
誠(chéng)然,阿貝爾早已熟悉伯克希爾旗下多家企業(yè)——自2018年起,他就負(fù)責(zé)管理所有非保險(xiǎn)業(yè)務(wù)。但直到今年1月1日,他才正式出任首席執(zhí)行官。目前巴菲特仍擔(dān)任公司董事長(zhǎng),投資者正密切關(guān)注這位新掌舵人將為這家歷史悠久的綜合企業(yè)集團(tuán)帶來(lái)哪些變革。
Check Capital董事總經(jīng)理、投資人克里斯·巴拉德(Chris Ballard)表示:“對(duì)格雷格而言,拋售卡夫亨氏的股份或許是最容易實(shí)現(xiàn)的目標(biāo)。對(duì)我們而言,即便伯克希爾最終清倉(cāng)這筆持倉(cāng),我們也并不會(huì)感到惋惜。”
不過(guò),由于持股體量過(guò)于龐大,伯克希爾要在公開(kāi)市場(chǎng)完成全部拋售,絕非易事。因此,巴拉德猜測(cè)可能已有潛在的大型買家在幕后等待接盤。
巴菲特去年秋天表示,除非有買家對(duì)卡夫亨氏發(fā)起全面要約收購(gòu),否則伯克希爾不會(huì)接受針對(duì)其持股的單獨(dú)要約收購(gòu)。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者: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.