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The week's question
In March 2025, in the thread "Re: OT, out", Umm asked the members: "Do you think it is because America is made up of magical soil that makes businesses based in America magically profitable?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
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Author: Mark ☼  😊 😞
Number: of 22351 
Subject: Re: Barron’s piece on Berkshire
Date: 04/29/25 12:00 PM
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It should be noted that Mr Buffett has said that the even if T-bill yields were low it would not change the fact that he'd be holding so many of them them. i.e., the currently high yields on T-bills are not a factor determining how many Berkshire holds, they just make the chosen situation more pleasant. So a fourth option would be "keep holding T-bills even at low rates until some better opportunity comes up".

I suspect that Buffett was mostly referring to the "base" $50-100B that he wants to keep in cash at all times. That cash will stay in short-term T-bills at any interest rate. The purpose, as stated many times, is such that Berkshire can weather any grave emergency (massive insurance claims, some other calamity, etc). I don't think he was specifically referring to the additional $200-300B of cash that mostly comes from realized gains and is to be reinvested someday.

Furthermore, I think that when the S&P500 earnings yield becomes higher than T-bill rates (enough higher to make a difference), that is indeed the "better opportunity". I think Buffett usually compares the 10 year treasury rate to company earnings yields, but a similar principle could easily apply to T-bills.
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This community has written 21,861 posts about Berkshire Hathaway. The article-length ones it recommended most:
BRK: Why Not XOM? · 62 recs · 2024
Second quarter comments · 60 recs · 2023
Berkshire's Profit Contributors · 58 recs · 2023
Summary of 2Q 2026 · 55 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
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