Berkshire Hathaway B shares (BRK-B) sold for $3,476 on January 20th. They opened the next morning at $71.00 after a 50:1 split. This makes Berkshire more accessible to small investors, but it really had to do with the acquisition of Burlington Northern (BNI). Markel (MKL) which is similar to BRK-B in holdings trades at $330.50. From WSJ:
"Berkshire's cash and stock offer will pay Burlington Northern shareholders $100 per share at 60% cash and 40% Berkshire Hathaway stock. Chairman Buffett proposed the split to accommodate holders of small amounts of Burlington Northern shares who would want to receive Berkshire Hathaway shares when the acquisition closed....'By splitting Berkshire "B" shares 50-for-1, we can accommodate even the smallest holdings of BNSF shares that elect a tax-free exchange,' Berkshire Hathaway said in the November announcement...It also said that the split was advisable regardless of the Burlington Northern transaction....Berkshire Hathaway shares aren't included in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index, but the new, lower price could mean that the B shares would be eligible.
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