Berkshire Shares Not a Value Yet

7/29 - "Okay, so, if housing is going to drag for another 18 months, then Berkshire's results will also. So, one would then expect lower comp. earnings and hence a lower share price.

Financials institutions like American Express (AXP), Wells Fargo (WFC), Bank of America (BAC), USB (USB), M&T Bank (MTB) make up about 30%-40% of Berkshire equity portfolio (it varies based on valuations). The argument can be made that these are the class of the financials and that may be true, but all have seen share prices cut almost in half in the last year and a half no mater their quality. The other parts are tied to housing (shares have suffered) and the consumer like Home Depot (HD), Lowes (LOW), USG (USG), Coke (KO) and others. A prolonged housing downturn could see further deterioration."

"For all its holdings, Berkshire is essentially an insurance company. It has operated u...