Warren Buffett

Hershey Co may make a US$17 billion bid for UK candy company Cadbury PLC, topping the recent US$16.5 billion hostile offer by Kraft Foods Inc, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. But the people said the charitable trust that controls the company and has complicated Hershey's merger efforts in the past is now prodding CEO David West to beat Kraft's offer, the Journal reports. The offer is expected to include at least US$10 billion in cash from Hershey, plus US$2 billion in new Hershey ...

We’re the only offer on the table   -Michael Mitchell

 

Berkshire Hathaway's Board of Directors believes a 50-for-1 split of the company's B shares is advisable regardless of whether the deal to buy Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. goes through, according to an SEC filing yesterday. Berkshire's SEC filing states that: "the Corporation's Board of Directors believes that the split is advisable regardless of the BNSF transaction, and thus the Class B stock split is not contingent on the closing of the BNSF acquisition and, if approved by our shareholders, ...  

Federal regulators are investigating pipeline units operated by Kinder Morgan Inc., MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. and TransCanada Corp. to determine whether they are earning more than their authorized returns. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted Thursday to probe Natural Gas Pipeline, run by Kinder Morgan; Northern Natural Gas, run by MidAmerican; and Great Lakes Gas Transmission, run by TransCanada. The pipelines "may be substantially over-recovering their cost-of-service," FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said.

may be substantially over-recovering their cost-of-service   -Jon Wellinghoff

 

The Delaware County Workforce Investment Board announced last week its Youth Council will be awarding education scholarships as part of the ninth annual Excellence in Youth Awards Program. Youths between the age of 6 and 21 who have been recognized for outstanding contributions to the community will be awarded an education scholarship to the post-secondary or vocational training institution of their choice. Recipients must be Delaware County residents.  

Bill Gross, who runs the world's biggest bond fund at Pacific Investment Management Co., said Chinese growth is likely to be hurt by an absence of consumer demand from trading partners such as the U.S. "It's gearing up for export that doesn't find an end consumer, that's the real problem in China." The "systemic risk" of new asset bubbles in global economies and markets is rising with the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates at record lows, Gross wrote in his December investment outlook posted ...

With unemployment in the double digits and likely to stay close to that for the next six months despite job creation ahead, the Fed has nowhere to go   -Ben S Bernanke

 

The Rice business students who visited Warren Buffett on Friday weren't struck most by the billionaire's business acumen, but by his affability. The Oracle of Omaha didn't give out stock tips for the 27 students from Rice's Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, but offered advice several students found life-changing: He called unconditional love more valuable than any amount of wealth. "We all have role models, and not all of them live up to your expectations," said Heather Mattingly, a self-described "Buffetteer."  

Takeovers are back. That's good news for investors. When companies are eager to make acquisitions, it's an encouraging sign to the market.  

Stable housing, a diverse economy and – most important – low unemployment help Omaha bounce back from recession. When it comes to riding out the Great Recession, we're No. 1. Forbes on Thursday put Omaha-Council Bluffs at the top of its list of the nation's fastest-recovering major metropolitan areas.  

Texas swing group The Quebe Sisters Band returns to the Santa Clarita Valley to headline the 2010 Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival on the last weekend of April. Co-headlining the 2010 festival are Cowboy Celtic, Don Edwards, Sons of the San Joachin and Dave Stamey. Rounding out the talent lineup on the various festival stages and locations are Cow Bop, Brenn Hill, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Juni Fisher, Jon Chandler & the Wichitones, The Sons and Brothers, Rusty Richards, Andy Nelson, Nancy Lee, The Saddle ...