Special topicAztecgoldextragoldmegawaysBuffett's 2024 shareholders' meeting is a big hit.

May 3 to May 5 local time in the United StatesAztecgoldextragoldmegawaysWarren Buffett will work at Berkshire Hathaway (BRK)AztecgoldextragoldmegawaysA. US) once again took center stage at the annual general meeting, but this year the atmosphere was different because of the lack of Buffett's longtime partner and Berkshire vice chairman Charlie Munger. Munger died in November at the age of 99, and his absence made investors more concerned about the future of the company after Buffett's retirement.

aztecgoldextragoldmegaways|巴菲特时代倒计时:伯克希尔哈撒韦(BRK.A.US)股东大会揭秘未来布局

The most closely watched question and answer session of the shareholders' meeting will begin at 09:15 local time (10:15 Beijing time). At the shareholder meeting, Buffett will face shareholder questions with 61-year-old Vice Chairman Greg Abel, which is expected to last about five hours. Vice chairman Ajit Jain, 72, who is in charge of Berkshire's insurance business, will also attend. Abel was named Buffett's successor in 2021 and is expected to become chief executive.

This will be Buffett's 60th annual meeting since he took over Berkshire in 1965. Although at the age of 93, Buffett is still known for his outstanding investment wisdom, but he is also aware that he is "playing playoffs", which means he knows that his time is limited.

The wonderful dialogue and insights between Buffett and Munger have always been the highlights of shareholders' meetings in previous years. Munger is known for his straightforward and profound rebuttal, often providing insightful comments for Buffett's long speeches on Berkshire, the economy, Wall Street and even life.

In addition, shareholders have shown strong interest in how Berkshire will respond to future challenges, including how to grow without paying excessive acquisition fees, whether the company will pay dividends, and how to make effective use of it.AztecgoldextragoldmegawaysA cash reserve of $67.6 billion.

Ted Bridges, chief executive of Omaha Bridges Trust, said Mr Buffett had shown it was difficult for Berkshire to replicate its past glory, but investors would be curious about the allocation and direction of capital over the next decade.

In response, in a February shareholder letter, Buffett acknowledged the limitations imposed by Berkshire's size and said the company could no longer achieve amazing results. With the end of Buffett's era, his eldest son, Howard Buffett, is expected to become non-executive chairman to maintain the company's culture. At the same time, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, who are in charge of some equity investments, may expand their responsibilities.

Berkshire Hathaway is a group valued at $867 billion and owns a number of companies, including BNSF Railway, Geico Automotive Insurance, Dairy Queen and Fruit of the Loom, as well as more than $300 billion in shares, nearly half of which is invested in Apple.

At Saturday's meeting, executives are likely to be asked about the impact of the Fed's efforts to reduce inflation on the company's consumer-oriented business and Buffett's investments in Apple, Western oil companies and five Japanese trading companies. and whether lawsuits facing Pacific over wildfire liability will affect its long-term prospects.

In addition, Buffett is likely to discuss Berkshire's challenges in making major acquisitions and how to use high-yielding Treasuries to allocate cash.

Cole Smead, CEO of Phoenix Smead Capital Management, points out that there are still many investment opportunities in the market that fail to attract Berkshire, reflecting the company's picky attitude towards investment opportunities.

It is worth mentioning that David Barrett, a senior British financial industry practitioner, said that for this annual meeting, he was most concerned about the relevant information about Buffett's "mysterious stocks" that might be revealed at the meeting. He said that in the fourth quarter of last year, Buffett bought a large stake in a company and asked the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) not to disclose its filings. In Barrett's view, this is quite unusual.

Barrett said that Buffett has a high reputation in the international investment community and pays great attention to his words and deeds, although as a long-term investor, Buffett tends to distance himself from the hot topics discussed in the market. but the international investment community is clearly looking forward to seeing how he adjusts his portfolio through this shareholder meeting.