Berkshire's Abel Shows Actions Speak Louder Than Words, But The Nuances Matter

Jim Sloan23.17K FollowersFollow5ShareSavePlay(21min)CommentsSummaryGreg Abel's first Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter was notably detailed, signaling strong operational command.Abel's approach highlighted Berkshire's highly decentralized structure, with subsidiaries not reporting to the top like typical corporations, a broadened leadership presence to be on the podium at the annual meeting.Major policies like no dividend are sustained while share buybacks resumed and policy on the large $373 billion cash position explained.Abel's using all his salary to buy Berkshire shares aligns him with all shareholders and shows confidence in Berkshire's future. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images News Greg Abel's First Berkshire Shareholder Letter The first Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)(BRK.B) Shareholder Letter written by Greg Abel was taken by most commenters as being very detailed but lacking in the folksy tone often present in Buffett's letters. TheThis article was written byJim Sloan23.17K FollowersFollowI am a retired professor, a retired investment adviser, and currently a private investor and full-time tennis pro. I bought my first stock in a custodial account in 1958. I am a student of history, particularly military and economic/market history. The intellectual passions of my retirement years have been markets, mathematics, and quantum theory. Recently I have found myself reading book after book on the thoughts and feelings of animals, and I believe they are subtly influencing some of my views. I have a cat I like a lot. I like to travel. I served in Vietnam.Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of BRK.B, BAC either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.