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Berkshire Hathaway Closing in on 20% Stake in Occidental Petroleum

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

A dip in the price of Occidental Petroleum had Warren Buffett adding more purchases of OXY shares on July 11, 12 and 13. The move comes as crude oil prices have dipped 9 percent this week.

In its latest Form 4 filing, Berkshire spent roughly $250 million for 4.3 million shares of OXY stock at prices ranging from $56.9406 to $59.8491 per share.

After these purchases, Berkshire holds 179,741,891 shares of OXY common stock.

The purchases raise Berkshire’s stake to 19.2%, which has it at the cusp of a 20% stake that would see Occidental Petroleum’s earnings added to Berkshire’s earnings. Currently, only the dividends are added to Berkshire’s financials.

In addition to its stake in OXY common stock, Berkshire also holds 100,000 series A preferred stock shares and warrants that Berkshire can exercise for roughly 84M shares of common stock at $59.624 per share.

© 2022 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Stock Portfolio

BYD Names Louwman as Dealer Partner in the Netherlands

BYD, the world’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles (NEVs), has appointed Louwman as its national dealer partner in the Netherlands.

The strategic partnership with the long-established Louwman Group marks an important phase for BYD as it continues to expand its eco-friendly electric passenger vehicle business.

Louwman will offer a digital platform for online ordering, customer service and assistance, and also provide both offline sales and aftersales services for BYD passenger vehicles through its huge dealer network at key locations across the Netherlands.

Several physical stores will be opened at key locations in the Netherlands, starting with Amsterdam. From September, customers will be able to visit the pioneering store in Amsterdam and review BYD’s latest models.

Louwman Group, has a long and successful heritage in the automotive industry dating back nearly a century. Privately owned, it has become one of the largest automotive companies in Europe with branches in 70 locations associated with many global brands. Louwman, like BYD, has traditionally been involved in many successful collaborations, sharing the same ambitions for a greener future through innovative sustainable eMobility solutions.

Michael Shu, General Manager and Managing Director, BYD Europe and International Cooperation Division: “We are proud to start our BYD passenger vehicles journey in the Netherlands with such an experienced and respected partner as Louwman. Louwman’s market recognition and resources combined, will enable BYD to rapidly establish brand awareness and generate sales of our world-leading new energy passenger vehicles in the Netherlands. Like BYD, Louwman is a business that thrives on being innovative. Together we look forward to achieving our shared vision to accelerate electrification and zero-emission transport in the Netherlands.”

Eric Louwman, President of Louwman Group: “It is an exciting partnership and fits perfectly with our goal of ‘Mobility for Life’. BYD is the world’s leading NEV manufacturer who is known around the globe for groundbreaking battery technology, which is at the heart of all BYD’s impressive new energy vehicles. We are delighted to offer a wide appealing range of eco-friendly BYD vehicles to our customers in the Netherlands with the reassurance of superior safety, long range performance and high standards of all-round quality. Leasing companies are already showing great interest in various models.”

BYD and Berkshire Hathaway

In 2008, Berkshire Hathaway bet on BYD’s potential, purchasing 225 million shares for $232 million. It’s an investment that has paid off handsomely. Berkshire’s original investment of $232 million had grown in value to $7.69 billion as of December 31, 2021.

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway and BYD, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Minority Stock Positions Stock Portfolio

BYD Passes Tesla in Global EV Sales

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway-backed BYD sold a company record 134,036 new energy vehicles in June, as it moved passed Tesla as the global EV sales leader.

BYD sold 641,000 vehicles since January, and is aiming to sell 1.5 million EVs in 2022, which would more than double its 2021 sales.

BYD has also passed South Korea’s LG to move into second-place among global producers of EV batteries. BYD is second only to China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL).

In mid-June, BYD’s board approved a 33 percent rise in the share price the new energy company can pay to buy back its shares. The company can now pay up to 400 yuan each for shares repurchased from the open market.

The increase in purchase price comes as BYD’s share price is flirting with a new all-time high that has seen its market value move the company into third place among global automakers ahead of Volkswagen.

BYD and Berkshire Hathaway

In 2008, Berkshire Hathaway bet on BYD’s potential, purchasing 225 million shares for $232 million. It’s an investment that has paid off handsomely. Berkshire’s original investment of $232 million had grown in value to $7.69 billion as of December 31, 2021.

© 2022 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway and BYD, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Stock Portfolio

Berkshire Hathaway-Backed BYD Hits New All-Time High

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway-backed BYD’s stock jumped to a new all-time high on Tuesday, with the share price up a dramatic 15.7 percent in the past month.

Shares of BYDDF jumped +$1.17 (2.92%) to close at $41.42 on June 28, 2022.

BYD shares had been on a dramatic run since 2020, rising from $4.52 on March 20, 2020 to an intraday peak of $43.61. The 52-week low was $21.42.

BYD has been posting strong sales for its plug-in EVs, including selling 105,475 cars in China in April.

In mid-June, BYD’s board approved a 33 percent rise in the share price the new energy company can pay to buy back its shares. The company can now pay up to 400 yuan each for shares repurchased from the open market.

BYD and Berkshire Hathaway

In 2008, Berkshire Hathaway bet on BYD’s potential, purchasing 225 million shares for $232 million. It’s an investment that has paid off handsomely. Berkshire’s original investment of $232 million had grown in value to $7.69 billion as of December 31, 2021.

© 2022 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway and BYD, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Stock Portfolio

As Shares Soar, BYD Raises Stock Repurchase Ceiling 33 Percent

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

The board of Berkshire Hathaway-backed BYD has approved a 33 percent rise in the share price the new energy company can pay to buy back its shares. The company can now pay up to 400 yuan each for shares repurchased from the open market.

At last month’s shareholder meeting, BYD had stated its repurchase ceiling was 300 yuan each as part of the company’s 1.85 billion yuan (US$277 million) stock repurchase plan.

The increase in repurchase price was disclosed in an exchange filing this past Thursday, and comes as BYD’s share price is flirting with a new all-time high that has seen its market value move the company into third place among global automakers ahead of Volkswagen.

BYD and Berkshire Hathaway

In 2008, Berkshire Hathaway bet on BYD’s potential, purchasing 225 million shares for $232 million. It’s an investment that has paid off handsomely. Berkshire’s original investment of $232 million had grown in value to $7.69 billion as of December 31, 2021.

© 2022 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway and BYD, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Stock Portfolio

BYD UK & Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) Deliver 1,000th Electric Bus

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway-backed BYD UK and Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and has delivered its 1,000th zero-emission bus.

The BYD ADL Enviro400EV double decker was part-funded by the Scottish Government and handed over to Stagecoach Bluebird in Aberdeen during Scottish Bus Week in the presence of the Scottish Government’s Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work.

Working in partnership since 2015, ADL is a subsidiary of leading independent global bus manufacturer NFI Group Inc. (NFI), and BYD is a global leader in batteries, energy management and electric mobility.

Sales of the market-leading, British-built BYD ADL Enviro200EV single decker and BYD ADL Enviro400EV double decker have accelerated rapidly as the transition to zero-emission mobility gathers pace in the United Kingdom. While it took five years to reach the 500th BYD ADL electric bus, the partnership has now delivered its 1,000th vehicle just one year later.

This bus is the last of a fleet of 22 BYD ADL Enviro400EV double deckers which Stagecoach ordered they have since confirmed an order for an additional 13 electric buses of the same type for Aberdeen following the award of funding through the Scottish Government’s follow-on scheme, the Zero-Emission Bus Challenge Fund.

BYD and Berkshire Hathaway

In 2008, Berkshire Hathaway bet on BYD’s potential, purchasing 225 million shares for $232 million. It’s an investment that has paid off handsomely. Berkshire’s original investment of $232 million had grown in value to $7.69 billion as of December 31, 2021.

© 2022 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway and BYD, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Categories
Minority Stock Positions Stock Portfolio

Link Transit Purchases 8 More BYD Battery-Electric Buses

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway-backed BYD has announced that Wenatchee, Washington-based Link Transit has purchased eight additional 30-foot American-made BYD battery-electric buses, building on Link’s long commitment to energy-saving, zero-emission transit technology.

The eight new BYD buses will complement Link’s growing all-electric fleet of 12 30- and 35-foot vehicles, with three additional 35-foot buses on order. Once the new vehicles are delivered, nearly half of Link’s total heavy-duty fleet of 48 vehicles will be all electric.

“We’re thankful for our partnership with Link Transit and to have the opportunity to provide their community with state-of-the-art clean-technology vehicles that are redefining public transportation,” said Patrick Duan, BYD’s Senior Vice President of Operations.

The eight new buses are being built by BYD at its Lancaster, California, Coach & Bus Manufacturing facility.
Every American-built, zero-emission BYD bus eliminates approximately 1,690 tons of carbon dioxide over its 12-year lifespan, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. This is equivalent to taking 27 cars off the road. Each bus also eliminates 10 tons of nitrogen oxides and 350 pounds of diesel particulate matter, improving air quality in the communities that they serve.

“These vehicles have been a tremendous success for us. Without opportunity charging, we’re seeing a range of 190 usable miles. With our Momentum Dynamics wireless opportunity chargers, we are extending this range to over 300 miles per day by charging the vehicles for 5 to 7 minutes 4 – 5 times per day while the vehicle is in the terminal on its hourly end of run lay-over. We have succeeded in replacing our diesel buses with our BYD buses on a one-to-one basis. We use these vehicles for all of our urban routes, in everyday use, with significantly lower operating costs. BYD has been great to work with,” said Richard DeRock, General Manager of Link Transit.

The Link Transit battery-electric fleet in 2022, averages 44 cents a mile in total operating costs, versus 88 cents a mile for its diesel vehicles. (With the recent run-up of diesel prices, the cost per mile has increased to 92 cents).

DeRock noted that the battery-electric buses have been particularly effective in navigating the extreme climate conditions within Link Transit’s service area. “It’s a very challenging operating environment – our winters are cold, and we can see 100 degrees in the summer. Finding vehicles that can maintain their effective range under these conditions is critically important,” he said.

BYD and Berkshire Hathaway

In 2008, Berkshire Hathaway bet on BYD’s potential, purchasing 225 million shares for $232 million. It’s an investment that has paid off handsomely. Berkshire’s original investment of $232 million had grown in value to $7.69 billion as of December 31, 2021.

© 2022 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway and BYD, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Categories
Minority Stock Positions Stock Portfolio

Berkshire Hathaway Adds to Its Occidental Petroleum Stake

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

A dip in the price of Occidental Petroleum has Warren Buffett resuming his purchases of OXY shares on May 10 and 11.

In its latest Form 4 filing Berkshire made the following purchases:

Common Stock 05/10/2022 716,355 $57.3161
Common Stock 05/02/2022 185,419 $57.3386

After these purchases, Berkshire holds 143,162,392  shares of OXY common stock.

In addition to its over 15% stake in OXY common stock, Berkshire also holds 200,000 series A preferred stock shares and warrants that Berkshire for roughly 84M shares of common stock at $59.624 per share.

© 2022 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Categories
Minority Stock Positions Stock Portfolio

Berkshire Hathaway Adds to Its Occidental Petroleum Stake

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Warren Buffett’s jump into oil and gas producers, which has seen him take huge stakes in Occidental Petroleum and Chevron, continued this week with $350 million of additional purchases of OXY shares on May 2 and 3.

In its latest Form 4 filing Berkshire Hathaway made the following purchases:

Common Stock 05/02/2022 736,516 $55.9957
Common Stock 05/02/2022 2,510,957 $56.7255
Common Stock 05/02/2022 1,918,019 $57.562
Common Stock 05/02/2022 701,626 $58.3745
Common Stock 05/03/2022 20,500 $57.7843

After these purchases, Berkshire Hathaway holds 142,260,618 of OXY common stock.

In addition to its stake in OXY common stock, Berkshire also holds 100,000 series A preferred stock shares and warrants that Berkshire can exercise for roughly 84M shares of common stock at $59.624 per share.

© 2022 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Categories
Minority Stock Positions Stock Portfolio

Berkshire Hathaway Bullish on Chevron

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

In addition to taking a fourteen percent stake in Occidental Petroleum, Berkshire Hathaway has made a dramatic increase to its stake in Chevron in the first quarter of 2022.

Berkshire’s $4.5 billion position in Chevron on December 31,2021, has more than quintupled to $25.9 billion as of March 31, 2022. The move makes Chevron Berkshire’s fourth largest holding behind only its stakes in Apple, Bank of America and American Express.

The position, which was revealed in Berkshire’s latest filing, comes as the oil and gas giant quadrupled its earnings in the first quarter of 2022, its highest quarterly profit in the past ten years.

Chevron’s stock has rocketed up 31.37 year-to-date and its dividend is yielding 3.63%.

Chevron’s $308 billion market capitalization makes it an easy opportunity for Berkshire to put a large portion of its cash position to work.

© 2022 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.