The long-time business partners Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett failed to finalize one last deal together.
What Happened: Munger, the late vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK) (NYSE:BRK), expressed optimism that the company, holding nearly $160 billion in cash, would eventually land its “elephant” deal.
During a CNBC special, Munger highlighted the company’s impressive cash reserve and excellent credit rating despite the inability to secure a significant deal. Munger suggested that the scale of Berkshire Hathaway’s operations requires a substantial transaction to make a significant impact, adding that the company is ready for a major deal despite his and Buffett’s absence.
See Also: ‘Dogecoin Killer’ Shiba Inu’s Blazing Burn Rate Soars 5,000%, 2.7M Tokens Gone In A Day
In recent years, Buffett has frequently hinted at a potential “elephant-sized acquisition.” While the company has made notable purchases, including insurer Alleghany Corp. for $11.6 billion and Dominion Energy‘s natural gas pipeline and storage assets for roughly $10 billion, none of these deals have matched the grandeur of the “elephant” Buffett envisioned.
With Berkshire Hathaway’s market value closing in on $800 billion, Munger believed the responsibility of making such a significant deal might fall on the next generation of the company’s leaders, possibly including Greg Abel, Ajit Jain, Ted Weschler, or Todd Combs.
Despite concerns over Berkshire Hathaway’s enormous cash reserve, especially during periods of near-zero interest rates, Munger defended the company’s strategic patience, stating that being awash in cash is a preferable position.
Price Action: On Thursday, Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class A and Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B shares closed 0.3% higher in the regular session, according to the data from Benzinga Pro.
Read Next: Elys Game Technology Bets Big On U.S. Market With Third Location
Engineered by Benzinga Neuro, Edited by Navdeep Yadav
The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to create comprehensive and timely stories for you. Learn more.