The chairman, chief executive and driving force of the group is Warren F.Buffet, purported to be the second wealthiest American. Mr Buffet has some unusual ways of doing things - he thinks for example, that American corporations are under taxed - he has sound reasons for saying so and often goes into print on the issue. His companies too have unusual reporting practices - they provide separate and additional summary accounting statements which don’t meet generally accepted accounting principles. They provide look-through earnings that include the pro-rata share of portfolio companies, and explicitly talk about the relationship between economic realities and accounting conventions. Mr. Buffet’s view is that this is doing no more than treating shareholders properly - as partners in the business and as grown ups. Mr Buffet also went to some lengths as the century turned to move money abroad. He contended that the widening US trade deficit would create a lack confidence in the dollar and its value would decline. He took substantial positions in European and Far Eastern currencies and then watched as his prediction was fulfilled. Berkshire Hathaway stock is very usual - the price of a Class A share is around $83,500.00 - the decimal point is in the right place! As a consequence, the volumes typically traded on the NYSE are not huge - less than 200 would not be unusual for a day’s transactions. Most of the stock is held by the institutional stock holders - other insurance and finance houses.

A Class B share will trade at one thirtieth of the price of a Class A but it has only one two hundredth of the voting right. Further, a Class A share can be converted to 30 Class B at any time but there is no facility for going in the other direction. The price of a Class A share has been very stable over the last several years - from a dip at 9/11, the price passed $80,000.00 in May 2004 and has been above $83,000.00 since. The climb was steady and almost without falter from June 1991 when the stock bottomed at $5,500.00 until it peaked at the $80K level in 2001.

Obviously then, Berkshire Hathaway stock is not for the average small investor (or the faint hearted). The company’s growth has been steady though and the likelihood is that it will continue to prosper. The group is currently cash rich and actively seeking suitable targets to add to its portfolio but Mr Buffet is fastidious in only buying sound businesses. Perhaps, if anyone has slightly over $80,000 under the mattress, A Berkshire Hathaway share might be a worthwhile purchase.