本月,沃倫·巴菲特的繼任者醞釀著上任后的首個大動作。
卡夫亨氏(Kraft Heinz)周二向投資者發出警示: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監管機構提交的文件中披露的。
彼時,巴菲特聯手巴西投資機構3G資本(3G Capital)促成了卡夫(Kraft)與亨氏(Heinz)的合并。彼時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值。如今,格雷格·阿貝爾(Greg Abel)或將另辟蹊徑。
近年來,隨著消費者愈發青睞超市自有品牌并遠離加工食品,巴菲特逐漸意識到,卡夫亨氏圍繞旗下品牌構建的護城河,遠沒有他當初預想的那般堅固。去年夏季,伯克希爾對其持有的卡夫亨氏股份計提了37.6億美元減值。巴菲特去年秋季曾表示對卡夫亨氏拆分公司的計劃感到失望。早在去年春季,伯克希爾派駐卡夫亨氏董事會的兩名代表便已辭職。
在執掌伯克希爾的六十年里,即便對某家企業的前景感到失望,巴菲特也極少選擇拋售已收購的資產。針對卡夫亨氏在文件中披露的其最大股東“或擇機出售325442152股股票”這一消息,伯克希爾周二未作出回應。該消息公布后,卡夫亨氏股價應聲下跌近4%,收于22.85美元。
目前尚無跡象表明伯克希爾已啟動減持,但CFRA Research公司分析師凱西·塞弗特(Cathy Seifert)猜測,此舉或許只是阿貝爾對伯克希爾多元化投資組合進行全面審查的開始。除了價值逾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政府雇員保險公司(Geico)在內的多家保險公司、數家公用事業公司、伯靈頓北方圣達菲鐵路公司(BNSF),以及一大批業務領域各異的制造與零售企業。
塞弗特表示:“在我看來,阿貝爾的領導風格或將與巴菲特不同。若此次減持最終落地,這將標志著公司經營思路的重大轉變。在巴菲特領導下,伯克希爾通常只進行收購,不進行剝離。我們認為,阿貝爾很可能會評估旗下所有子公司,并剝離那些未能達到其內部考核標準的公司。”
誠然,阿貝爾早已熟悉伯克希爾旗下多家企業——自2018年起,他就負責管理所有非保險業務。但直到今年1月1日,他才正式出任首席執行官。目前巴菲特仍擔任公司董事長,投資者正密切關注這位新掌舵人將為這家歷史悠久的綜合企業集團帶來哪些變革。
Check Capital董事總經理、投資人克里斯·巴拉德(Chris Ballard)表示:“對格雷格而言,拋售卡夫亨氏的股份或許是最容易實現的目標。對我們而言,即便伯克希爾最終清倉這筆持倉,我們也并不會感到惋惜。”
不過,由于持股體量過于龐大,伯克希爾要在公開市場完成全部拋售,絕非易事。因此,巴拉德猜測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,除非有買家對卡夫亨氏發起全面要約收購,否則伯克希爾不會接受針對其持股的單獨要約收購。(財富中文網)
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大動作。
卡夫亨氏(Kraft Heinz)周二向投資者發出警示: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監管機構提交的文件中披露的。
彼時,巴菲特聯手巴西投資機構3G資本(3G Capital)促成了卡夫(Kraft)與亨氏(Heinz)的合并。彼時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值。如今,格雷格·阿貝爾(Greg Abel)或將另辟蹊徑。
近年來,隨著消費者愈發青睞超市自有品牌并遠離加工食品,巴菲特逐漸意識到,卡夫亨氏圍繞旗下品牌構建的護城河,遠沒有他當初預想的那般堅固。去年夏季,伯克希爾對其持有的卡夫亨氏股份計提了37.6億美元減值。巴菲特去年秋季曾表示對卡夫亨氏拆分公司的計劃感到失望。早在去年春季,伯克希爾派駐卡夫亨氏董事會的兩名代表便已辭職。
在執掌伯克希爾的六十年里,即便對某家企業的前景感到失望,巴菲特也極少選擇拋售已收購的資產。針對卡夫亨氏在文件中披露的其最大股東“或擇機出售325442152股股票”這一消息,伯克希爾周二未作出回應。該消息公布后,卡夫亨氏股價應聲下跌近4%,收于22.85美元。
目前尚無跡象表明伯克希爾已啟動減持,但CFRA Research公司分析師凱西·塞弗特(Cathy Seifert)猜測,此舉或許只是阿貝爾對伯克希爾多元化投資組合進行全面審查的開始。除了價值逾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政府雇員保險公司(Geico)在內的多家保險公司、數家公用事業公司、伯靈頓北方圣達菲鐵路公司(BNSF),以及一大批業務領域各異的制造與零售企業。
塞弗特表示:“在我看來,阿貝爾的領導風格或將與巴菲特不同。若此次減持最終落地,這將標志著公司經營思路的重大轉變。在巴菲特領導下,伯克希爾通常只進行收購,不進行剝離。我們認為,阿貝爾很可能會評估旗下所有子公司,并剝離那些未能達到其內部考核標準的公司。”
誠然,阿貝爾早已熟悉伯克希爾旗下多家企業——自2018年起,他就負責管理所有非保險業務。但直到今年1月1日,他才正式出任首席執行官。目前巴菲特仍擔任公司董事長,投資者正密切關注這位新掌舵人將為這家歷史悠久的綜合企業集團帶來哪些變革。
Check Capital董事總經理、投資人克里斯·巴拉德(Chris Ballard)表示:“對格雷格而言,拋售卡夫亨氏的股份或許是最容易實現的目標。對我們而言,即便伯克希爾最終清倉這筆持倉,我們也并不會感到惋惜。”
不過,由于持股體量過于龐大,伯克希爾要在公開市場完成全部拋售,絕非易事。因此,巴拉德猜測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,除非有買家對卡夫亨氏發起全面要約收購,否則伯克希爾不會接受針對其持股的單獨要約收購。(財富中文網)
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.