3/13/2023
By Charles Payne, CEO & Principal Analyst

Buffett Letter

In his latest shareholder letter Warren Buffett laid it on thick about the power or should I say “secret sauce’ for his magnificent success.  Below is an excerpt – I encourage everyone to read the entire letter.

The Secret Sauce

In August 1994 – yes, 1994 – Berkshire completed its seven-year purchase of the 400million shares of Coca-Cola we now own. The total cost was $1.3 billion – then a very meaningful sum at Berkshire. The cash dividend we received from Coke in 1994 was $75 million. By 2022, the dividend had increased to $704 million. Growth occurred every year, just as certain as birthdays. All Charlie and I were required to do was cash Coke’s quarterly dividend checks. We expect that those checks are highly likely to grow.

American Express is much the same story. Berkshire’s purchases of Amex were essentially completed in 1995 and, coincidentally, also cost $1.3 billion. Annual dividends received from this investment have grown from $41 million to $302 million. Those checks, too, seem highly likely to increase.

Charles Payne
Wall Street Strategies

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