Would BRK.B be "higher quality" than VFV? I currently hold a decent amount of VFV and a tiny bit of BRK.B. It feels like all "the rules/norms" have been discarded for last several years but for next 5 -10 years which would you favor?
Thanks!
We think BRK.B’s portfolio of businesses (publicly traded and privately held) that was accumulated and well-selected by Mr. Buffet over the years is pretty high-quality, the common characteristics of these companies are strong pricing power, solid “moat”, and staying power, businesses like BNSF, Geico, Apple, etc. In addition, BRK.B also has low-cost insurance float, which is an inherent leverage to invest. If it is 'better than the market' it is because he is selective, and does not own 500 securities as the S&P 500 does. Having said that, VFV is broadly diversified in terms of the number of holdings) and does not have a personnel risk like BRK.B (the next CEO’s capital allocation may not be on-par with Mr. Buffet). We like both, we would be comfortable to hold both securities. If the next 5-10 years is another bull market run, BRK.B could stay behind, but BRK.B tends to outperform in a flat or down market. The 'market' does not hold cash and BRK.B has a ton of cash to cushion the downturns.
Authors of this answer, directors, partners and/or officers of 5i Research and/or affiliated companies have a financial or other interest in AAPL, VFV.