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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: mungofitch 🐝🐝🐝 GOLD
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Number: of 21944 
Subject: Re: out of the gate strong
Date: 01/30/24 8:56 AM
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I did mean to say put writing.

I have done a lot of cash-backed put writing. Around 100,000 contracts over the years. Since dates and strikes are staggered very few contracts will ever get assigned in any given period, so $1 in cash can back up considerably more than $1 in puts liability without much problem, so a bit of leverage adds to the charm financially.

But only rarely have I done it with Berkshire...the premiums never seem to be particularly high. The stock is perceived (rightly) as not being very likely to make a big move.
I averaged 12%/year on them without leverage, but it was that good only because I was a bit lucky or skilled at choosing my moments. Typically the return on the puts was only something like 2% better than simply holding the stock in the same intervals, a bit like getting a dividend. And it was a lot of work.

As mentioned, I plan to get back into writing puts against Berkshire soon, as a way to make a little bit of money and simultaneously automatically get more stock at a good valuation level. But I don't expect much of a return from the process, as the entry prices that interest me right now are well below the current stock price. I won't be doing it when the stock price gets cheap again...at that point I'll be buying stock, or getting it assigned.

Jim
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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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