Leadership Transition - Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has announced a leadership transition plan with Gregory E. Abel stepping into the CEO role, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the company's culture and capital discipline [1] Earnings Overview - In the fourth quarter, operating earnings were reported at $10.2 billion, a decrease of 29.8% from $14.56 billion in the same period last year [2] - For the full year 2025, operating earnings totaled $44.49 billion, down from $47.44 billion in the previous year [2] - Cash holdings decreased to $373.3 billion from $381.6 billion in the third quarter, with no share repurchases reported [2] Investment in Occidental - As of December 31, 2025, Berkshire's investment in Occidental preferred stock had a liquidation value of approximately $8.5 billion, with $1.5 billion redeemed due to excess distributions to common stockholders [3] Focus on Japanese Trading Companies - Berkshire highlighted its investments in five Japanese trading companies, which provide significant dividends and global reach [3][4] - The total market value of these positions was $194 billion, representing nearly two-thirds of the $297.8 billion equity securities portfolio, yielding combined dividends of $2.5 billion [5] Insurance Operations - Abel reiterated that Berkshire's insurance operations remain a core financial engine, emphasizing disciplined underwriting and long-term thinking [7] - The company ended 2025 with over $370 billion in cash and Treasury holdings, viewing the balance sheet as a strategic advantage in volatile markets [7][8] Cash Management Strategy - Berkshire's management prefers investing in productive businesses rather than holding government debt, maintaining a policy of not paying dividends as long as retained earnings can create more market value for shareholders [8]

THIS IS "THE CLOSE." ROMAINE: STOCKS GETTING SOME OF THEIR MOJO BACK. I'M ROMAINE BOSTICK. >> I'M KATIE GREIFELD.WE ARE KICKING OFF TO THE CLOSING BELL. SOME MOJO. THAT IS HIGHER THAN WHERE WE FINISH THE DAY.CONSIDER WE WERE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER SO IT LITTLE BIT OF AN ENTHUSIASM DRAIN, LEADING THE WAY. IT IS HIGHER BY ABOUT TWO BASIS POINTS. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE HAWKISH THAN SOMEWHERE EXPECTING.AND BITCOIN BITCOIN DOWN ABOUT 2%. ROMAINE: WE WILL TALK ABOUT WHY WE ARE SEEING WEAKNESS IN STOCKS. A MAJOR DR ...

Core Viewpoint - Western Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE:WES) is recognized as one of the best pipeline and MLP stocks to buy in 2026, indicating strong market confidence in its future performance [1]. Group 1: Ratings and Price Targets - RBC Capital's Elvira Scotto reiterated a Hold rating on WES with a price target of $42 as of January 28, 2026, while Morgan Stanley maintained a Sell rating with a price target of $41 [2]. Group 2: Financial Performance - Western Midstream Partners declared a quarterly cash distribution of $0.91 per unit for Q4 2025, consistent with the previous quarter's payout, with eligibility for shareholders as of February 2, 2026, for payment on February 13, 2026 [3]. Group 3: Strategic Developments - The company announced renegotiations on key natural gas contracts in the Delaware Basin with Occidental and ConocoPhillips, transitioning to simplified, fixed-fee arrangements. Occidental will transfer 15.3 million WES common units, valued at approximately $610 million, back to the partnership for redemption, aiming to solidify revenue through the late 2030s and diversify its customer base [4]. Group 4: Company Overview - Founded in 2007, Western Midstream Partners, LP is a master limited partnership focused on the gathering, processing, and transportation of natural gas, crude oil, and NGLs across major U.S. basins, utilizing fee-based contracts, and is headquartered in Texas [5].

Core Viewpoint - Corporate earnings and geopolitical concerns have influenced investor sentiment, but dividend-paying stocks remain an attractive option for consistent income in a volatile market [1] Group 1: Viper Energy (VNOM) - Viper Energy, a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy, focuses on mineral and royalty interests in oil-weighted basins, primarily the Permian in West Texas, offering a dividend yield of 5.53% [3] - Analyst Leo Mariani from Roth Capital maintains a buy rating on VNOM with a price target of $48, citing its high organic growth rate, solid and growing dividend, and strong free cash flow even at lower oil prices [4] - Viper is expected to produce 66,552 barrels of oil per day in Q4 2025, slightly above estimates, with total production of 129,424 barrels of oil equivalent per day, also above consensus [4] - A cash distribution of $0.57 per share is anticipated for Q4 2025, reflecting a 2% decline, alongside an increase in share buybacks to $95 million [5] - Viper is considered more insulated from drilling cuts due to weak oil prices, as Diamondback operates 60% of its production, allowing for scaled-back activity outside VNOM's mineral acreage [6] Group 2: SLB (SLB) - SLB, an oilfield services provider, reported better-than-expected Q4 2025 results and announced a 3.5% increase in its quarterly cash dividend to $0.295 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.41% [8] - Analyst Arun Jayaram from JPMorgan reiterated a buy rating on SLB, raising the price target to $54, noting that the company's 2026 guidance aligns with consensus expectations [9] - SLB is expected to benefit from growth in international markets, particularly in Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia, while facing a modest revenue decline in Europe and Africa [10] - The company anticipates generating approximately $4.2 billion in free cash flow in 2026 and returning nearly $4.3 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks [12] Group 3: EOG Resources (EOG) - EOG Resources offers a quarterly dividend of $1.02 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of 3.68% [14] - Analyst Gabriele Sorbara from Siebert Williams Shank reaffirmed a buy rating on EOG with a price target of $150, expecting strong Q4 results in line with estimates [15] - EOG is projected to return at least 70% of free cash flow to shareholders annually, supported by strong free cash flow generation and a robust balance sheet [16] - The company plans opportunistic buybacks, with $4 billion available under an existing authorization, estimating $457.4 million in Q4 2025 share buybacks [17]

Core Insights - Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) is considering exiting its position in Kraft Heinz, which would be the first strategic move by new CEO Greg Abel and signify the end of Warren Buffett's investment in the company [1][8] Company Position - BRK.B holds a 27.5% stake in Kraft Heinz, making it the largest shareholder, with an investment valued at $8.6 billion as of September 30, 2025 [2][8] - Following Kraft Heinz's announcement of a strategic review, Berkshire wrote down $3.76 billion against its stake [3][8] Strategic Moves - Kraft Heinz plans to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies through a tax-free spin-off to enhance strategic focus and reduce complexity [3] - Berkshire Hathaway's investment strategy focuses on acquiring businesses with durable earnings power, strong returns on equity, and skilled management at sensible valuations [4] Competitor Analysis - Progressive Corporation (PGR) and Travelers Companies (TRV) are noted for their disciplined acquisition strategies aimed at enhancing core strengths and expanding into complementary markets [5][6] Financial Performance - BRK.B shares have gained 1.8% over the past year, outperforming the industry [7] - The price-to-book value ratio for BRK.B is 1.49, above the industry average of 1.42, indicating an expensive valuation [9] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BRK.B's first-quarter 2026 EPS has remained stable, while the estimate for 2026 revenues indicates a year-over-year increase [10][11]

Group 1: Berkshire Hathaway's Stake in Kraft Heinz - Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is considering exiting its 27.5% stake in Kraft Heinz, which has been held for the past ten years, due to underperformance against Warren Buffett's expectations [2] - Kraft Heinz filed a prospectus supplement with the SEC for the potential resale of 325.4 million shares from Berkshire, valued at approximately $7.7 billion based on a share price of $23.8, leading to a 4.9% drop in Kraft Heinz's shares in after-hours trading [3] - This decision follows significant write-downs of $3.0 billion in 2019 and $3.76 billion in August, as Kraft Heinz plans to split into two companies later in 2026, a strategy previously criticized by Buffett and CEO Greg Abel [4] Group 2: Berkshire Hathaway's Acquisition Strategy - On January 2, 2026, Berkshire Hathaway completed a $9.7 billion acquisition of OxyChem from Occidental, indicating a strategic shift towards stable, cash-generative industrial assets [5] - Berkshire Hathaway operates as a diversified conglomerate with interests in various sectors including insurance, energy, industrials, transportation, and consumer products [5]

Core Insights - Net Power Inc. reported its financial and operational results for Q3 2025, emphasizing its strategy to deliver low-carbon intensity power solutions fueled by natural gas [1][2] Business Strategy - The company has expanded its strategy to focus on clean power projects utilizing gas turbines with post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) to meet the rising demand for firm power solutions [2][3] - Net Power aims to transform natural gas into the lowest cost form of clean firm power, positioning its oxy-combustion technology as a competitive alternative to new nuclear power [3][4] Key Business Updates - A letter of intent was signed with Entropy Inc. to exclusively deploy its PCC technology for power generation in the U.S. and to jointly develop projects [4] - Progress is being made on the Project Permian site in West Texas, targeting up to 1GW of clean firm power generation capacity, with a final investment decision expected in H1 2026 and commercial operations targeted for 2028 [4] - The Northern MISO clean firm power hub is also advancing, with a 300MW interconnect request and expected completion of interconnect and sequestration facilities by 2028/2029 [4] Technology Development - Advanced testing of oxy-combustion technology at the La Porte Demonstration Facility has shown significant progress, achieving record pressures and temperatures [11] - The company is reassessing its oxy-combustion technology's market acceptance and has identified cost reductions and performance improvements, although it has led to a non-cash impairment of the technology's value [11] Financial Position - Net Power ended the quarter with approximately $424 million in cash, cash equivalents, and investments, indicating a strong financial position to support its strategic initiatives [11]

Core Viewpoint - Berkshire Hathaway is preparing to release its final quarterly report under CEO Warren Buffett, who will step down by the end of 2025, raising investor concerns about the company's future leadership and performance [1][2]. Financial Performance - Operating earnings for fiscal 2024 increased by 27% to $47.4 billion, although operating profits saw a nearly 9% decline year-over-year in the first half of 2025 [4]. - Cash flow from operations remained robust, resulting in a cash and cash equivalents total of nearly $345 billion by the end of Q2 [4]. Recent Acquisitions - Berkshire Hathaway announced the acquisition of Occidental's chemical business, OxyChem, for $9.7 billion in an all-cash transaction, reflecting Buffett's investment strategy [5][6]. - The acquisition is expected to enhance Occidental's financial position as the company plans to use a significant portion of the funds to reduce debt [6]. Market Performance - Berkshire's stock has underperformed compared to the S&P 500, with a decline of over 9% since Buffett's retirement announcement [2][7]. - Despite an 8% increase in 2025, Berkshire's returns are still lagging behind the S&P 500 by a larger percentage [9][10]. Investment Opportunity - The current price-to-book value of Berkshire's stock is approaching its three-year average, presenting a potential buying opportunity for investors [8]. - The energy segment of Berkshire, which operates in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, is expected to benefit from increasing electricity demand driven by AI data centers [10]. Leadership Transition - Following Buffett's retirement, Greg Abel will take over as CEO, while Buffett will remain involved as chairman of the board, suggesting continuity in leadership [11].

Market Performance - On October 8, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite reached new all-time closing highs, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.58% and the Nasdaq increasing by 1.12% [1] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced a slight decline, falling by 1.20 points [1] Federal Reserve and Government Shutdown - The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time in 2025, with differing opinions among officials on the extent of future cuts [2] - The government shutdown entered its 8th day, with the Senate rejecting stopgap funding bills for the sixth time, indicating ongoing legislative challenges [2][3] Stock Market Impact - The current government shutdown has not significantly affected the stock market, but prolonged shutdowns could threaten investor confidence and impact the US economy [3] Methodology for Stock Analysis - The analysis of the 10 most profitable stocks over the last 5 years focused on companies with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in net income exceeding 15% [5] - Data was verified through Seeking Alpha and included only stocks with positive trailing twelve-month (TTM) net income [5] Hedge Fund Sentiment - The top 10 most profitable stocks were ranked based on hedge fund sentiment, utilizing data from Insider Monkey's Q2 2025 database of 983 elite hedge funds [6] Notable Stocks - **JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM)**: - 5-Year Net Income CAGR: 17.58% - TTM Net Income: $55.15 billion - Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 124 - Recently appointed Conor Hillery and Matthieu Wiltz as co-CEOs for EMEA, aiming to increase regional revenues by 20% by the end of the decade [8][9][10][11] - **Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B)**: - 5-Year Net Income CAGR: 23.13% - TTM Net Income: $62.92 billion - Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 133 - Announced a definitive agreement to acquire Occidental's chemical business, OxyChem, for $9.7 billion, expected to close in Q4 2025 [13][14][15]

Core Insights - Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) is acquiring Occidental's chemical business, OxyChem, for $9.7 billion in cash, enhancing its oil and gas sector presence [1][8] - The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to approvals and closing conditions [1][8] Group 1: Business Strategy - OxyChem is a global manufacturer of essential base chemicals, providing resilience through industrial cycles [2] - Berkshire's energy portfolio includes significant stakes in Occidental and Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company, focusing on renewable energy, which offers steady cash flow and long-term capital growth [2] - The company aims to grow its non-insurance business whenever opportunities arise, contributing to overall stability [3] Group 2: Acquisition and Financial Position - Berkshire Hathaway has a strong acquisition strategy, targeting businesses with durable earnings power and skilled management [4] - With over $344 billion in liquidity, Berkshire is well-positioned to deploy capital for acquisitions, which have historically fueled growth and diversified income streams [4] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Competitors like NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy are also focused on renewable energy, with NextEra leading due to early investments in wind, solar, and battery storage [5] - Dominion plans to invest $50 billion from 2025 to 2029 to enhance its clean energy projects, aiming for a 15% annual increase in renewable energy capacity [6] Group 4: Stock Performance and Valuation - BRK.B shares have increased by 10.3% year-to-date, outperforming the industry [7][8] - The stock trades at a price-to-book value ratio of 1.61, slightly above the industry average of 1.57, indicating a relatively expensive valuation [10] Group 5: Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BRK.B's 2025 EPS has seen a slight increase of 0.3% over the past 30 days, while estimates for 2026 remain unchanged [12] - Revenue estimates for 2025 and 2026 indicate year-over-year increases, although the 2025 EPS suggests a decline [13]