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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: LongTermBRK   😊 😞
Number: of 21943 
Subject: Re: $STEW at 23% discount
Date: 12/03/24 6:23 PM
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I believe there may even be a different way of looking at this. STEW recently substantially raised its distribution. Now, its done this annually but its been increasing even more past couple years I believe strategically.

The CEF been poorly marketed and its discount really expanded this year. The challenge here is: CEFs are generally bought for income— and STEW has been an obscure, 23 stock ultra concentrated fund with a couple percent dividend. 40% BRKA&B. Kind of a yawn void of a label lol.

Well, the huge recent 23% discount I believe allows STEW to effectively be viewed as an equity income CEF —as the discount supersizes its effective and raised payout now to 4%. The discount IMO is moving STEW recently to an approach emphasizing the payout. It sees opportunity: See 22.2% annnual payout increase this month.

No reason IMO the CEF should trade more than its historic 15% or so NAV discount.

This may sound gimmicky, but I believe it’s strategic: STEW will I believe strategically sell small portions of BRK annually (it’s been doing this recently) to achieve 2 things: diversify modestly away from its 40% top BRK holding, and fund a cash payout that translates to shareholders into more than the actual dollar payout due to the massive, and even much higher than historic NAV discount. A 4% payout to shareholders only cost STEW 3% of NAV. STEW dollars are $1.23 to us. The CEF managers challenge will be to choose appropriate BRK sell points. They are value guys and I believe can be trusted to liquidate at favorable prices.

Yes, the expense ratio is high. Absolutely. I think, though, the opportunity here is still attractive. I own in an IRA to avoid the distribution tax bill and equally important: if this NAV discount doesn’t materially reduce—pressure will be to liquidate the CEF, which today would be a 23% bonus. The large “tax bill” from such a liquidation would flow from on the CEF to its stockholders.Why I chose to own in an IRA.

I think this is value “under a rock”. This is neither followed nor understood.
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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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