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The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" 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: ValueOrGoHome   😊 😞
Number: of 21944 
Subject: Re: Buybacks have begun
Date: 03/08/26 6:26 PM
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No. of Recommendations: 3
I think the valuation of small companies is not so attractive now. Berkshire used to talk about "bolt-on" acquisitions, but they haven't since 2021. These might be of a similar size to what you're writing about. In the 2018 report they only released per-year totals for the previous three years, stating "we do not believe that these acquisitions are material, individually or in the aggregate to our Consolidated Financial Statements" Except Berkshire did mention a $2.5 Billion purchase of an insurer bolted on to National Indemnity.

I don't know to what extend most acquisitions were discussed when they happened but Buffett didn't cover them much in the Annual Report.
2016: $1.4 B total
2017: $2.7 B total
2018: A $2.5 billion purchase of Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company, $1 B total among various.
2018 to 2021: "several smaller-sized business acquisitions"

I would think any acquisition smaller than $2 Billion since 2021 won't get mentioned by name.



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This community has written 21,448 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 · 57 recs · 2023
Summary of 2Q 2026 · 54 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
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