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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: mungofitch ✹✺🐝 SILVER
SHREWD   😊 😞
Number: of 22349 
Subject: Re: Alimentation Couche Tard
Date: 07/09/26 10:39 AM
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The 7-year time period is interesting - Greg Abel was put in charge of non-insurance operations in January 2018.

For whatever it's worth, I think it hasn't been an issue of management so much as unavoidable factors. For example, the rails were (we now know) unusually and unsustainably profitable for a while there due to very high and profitable coal loadings. I wouldn't want head office to jump onto the precision railroading "cut your way to success" bandwagon for poor reasons. A good long term future might be better assured without squeezing every last dollar out in the short term.

Jim
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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
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Summary of 2Q 2026 · 55 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
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