Posts for Ticker ‘GSK’

The More Focused, and More Opaque, Buffett & Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B, BNI, UNP, NSC, GS, GE, TIF, HOG, WMT, COP, XOM, WFC, RSG, DOW, ETN, WBC, MCO, WLP, UNH, GSK, SNY, GCI, WPO)

This was an important week for investment guru and billionaire watchers to see which gurus were holding which stocks.  The full public equity holdings of Warren Buffett via Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) were particularly of note, particularly with those B shares under “BRK-B” soon to split and giving a chance for even the less astute ranks of Joe Public to own a piece of the Berkshire dream.  Obviously the huge change is via the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. (NYSE: BNI) buyout.  As part of this deal, Buffett is exiting Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) and exiting Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) stakes of about $600 million and $100 million, respectively, to avoid duplication and internal competition.  The rail transport play now accounts for about one-quarter of the total Berkshire Hathaway entity upon closing. But the less obvious position in that Warren Buffett in 2009 has made it clear that there will be a simpler and probably less “stock-hound” version of Berkshire Hathaway ahead.

Buffett has gone higher up the food chain and is likely to be a creditor now inside or to large institutions.  We have seen this during the crisis.  Buffett negotiated a better deal for Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) than the US Government was able to get.  Buffett’s preferred stock in Goldman Sachs has a dividend of 10% and is callable at any time at a 10% premium; but Buffett also got warrants to purchase $5 billion of common stock with a strike price of $115.00 per share, exercisable for a five-year term (4 years now), and Buffett would effectively get to pocket $61 per share if he exercised those all today at the market (and with a $2.6 billion warrant profit alone).

The General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) stake was listed only as 7.77 million shares of common stock (about $125 million now), the same as it has been for quarters.  Yet last year Buffett came to the rescue with a $3 billion of perpetual preferred stock in a private offering with a dividend of 10% and warrants to purchase $3 billion of common stock.  The preferred is callable after 3-years (2 years now) at a 10% premium; the warrants have a strike price of $22.25 and are exercisable for a five-year term (4 years now).
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Posted on: November 19, 2009 – 8:59 am in Activist Investor, Bonds, Buffett, Conglomerates, Dividend, Editor's Picks, Infrastructure, Large Cap Stocks, Mergers and Buy Outs, Oil & Gas, Private Equity, Transports, Value Investing, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Buffett & Berkshire Hathaway Q3-2009 Holdings (BRK-A, BRK-B, GCI, GE, GSK, HD, IR, IRM, JNJ, KFT, LOW, MCO, NLC, NKE, NSC, NRG)

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A)(BRK-B) has its Q3-2009 public equity holdings as of September 30, 2009.  In our group “A to F” we noted some interim changes in the lot.  Here are Warren Buffett’s holdings and accompanying notes for the group ‘G to O.’

  • Gannett Co. (NYSE: GCI) 3.447 million shares, same as before.
  • General Electric Corp. (NYSE: GE) 7.777 million shares is the same as before, but does not include the huge preferred investment from late 2008.
  • GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) 1.51 million shares, same as before.
  • Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) 2.757 million, same as last quarter.
  • Ingersoll-Rand (NYSE: IR) 636,600 shares; WAY DOWN from the 7.78 million listed last quarter.
  • Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM) 3.3722 million shares, same as before.
  • Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) was just over 36.91 million shares; Same as last quarter and still well under the 62 million shares at one point in 2008.
  • Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) over 138 million; same as last quarter.
  • Lowe’s Companies (NYSE: LOW) 6.5 million shares, same as last quarter.
  • M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB) 6.71 million shares, same as before.
  • Moody’s (NYSE: MCO) was listed as over 39.2 million shares, but that is WAY DOWN from the 48 million last quarter.  Be advised that he has noted sales and hinted at more sales here.
  • Nalco Holding (NYSE: NLC) 9.0 million shares, same as last quarter.
  • Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) 7.641 million shares, same as before.
  • Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) 1.933 million shares, same as before, but we already know Buffett has or is selling out of non-BNSF shares in rail companies.
  • NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) 7.2 million, same as before.

BUFFETT HOLDINGS A to F

BUFFETT HOLDINGS P to Z

You can join our open email distribution list to hear more news on Buffett and other investment gurus, IPOs, secondary offerings, private equity, key analyst calls, and more.

JON C. OGG

Posted on: November 16, 2009 – 4:48 pm in Activist Investor, Buffett, Conglomerates, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Unusual Suspects (BEAT, CIT, CIT-PZ, GNW, GFIG, HGSI, GSK, MCO, BRK-A, RVSN, CSCO)

bull-and-bear-image2Earnings season is seeming to wind down here, but that won’t stop the unusual suspects of key equity events and issues to watch this coming week.  We are looking into key issues for the coming week in the stocks of CardioNet, Inc. (NASDAQ:BEAT), CIT Group, Inc. (NYSE: CIT), Genworth Financial Inc. (NYSE:  class=GNW), GFI Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GFIG), Human Genome Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: HGSI), GlaxoSmithKline Plc (NYSE: GSK), Moody’s Corp. (NYSE: MCO), Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A), RADVISION Ltd. (NASDAQ: RVSN) and Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO).
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Posted on: November 1, 2009 – 11:33 am in After-Hours Activity, Biotech, Buffett, Calendar, Earnings, Financial Stocks, Healthcare, Mergers and Buy Outs, Rumors, , , , , , , , , , ,

Top Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades, Initiations (AMZN, CB, CXW, GSK, ITRI, LEAP, LM, PNC, POT, VLO)

These are this Friday morning’s top 10 analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations we have seen from Wall Street’s research calls:

Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) Raised to Outperform at FBR Capital (new target $130); Raised to Overweight at Barclays; Raised to Buy at Jefferies; Raised to Buy at Janney Montgomery.
Chubb (NYSE: CB) Cut to Hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
Corrections Corp (NYSE: CXW) Started as Buy at Sun Trust Robinson Humphrey
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) Cut to Hold at Jefferies.
Itron (NASDAQ: ITRI) Raised to Buy at Deutsche Bank.
Leap Wireless (NASDAQ: LEAP) Started as Neutral at Credit Suisse.
Legg Mason (NYSE: LM) Raised to Neutral at Credit Suisse.     Credit Suisse
PNC Financial Services (NYSE: PNC) Raised to Overweight at Wells Fargo.
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc. (NYSE: POT) Cut to Sector Perform at CIBC; targets raised to $125 at RBC and raised to $135 at Canaccord.
Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO) Raised to Overweight at Barclays.

You can join our open email distribution list to get updates on top analyst upgrades and downgrades, top day trader alerts, IPO’s, secondary offerings, Warren Buffett and other guru activity, M&A and more.

JON C. OGG
OCTOBER 23, 2009

Posted on: October 23, 2009 – 8:16 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , , ,

Media Digest 9/10/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg

newspaperReuters:   GM has made its decision on Opel and will announce it today.

Reuters:   Foreign car makers are having trouble with the affluent market in China

Reuters:   Steve Jobs made a presentation at Apple’s (AAPL) latest public meeting.

Reuters:   OPEC will hold prices steady. Read More »

Posted on: September 10, 2009 – 4:03 am in Press Digest, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Media Digest 9/7/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

newspaperReuters:   Markets in Asia and Europe were mostly higher with many up over 1%. Cadbury rose on an offer from Kraft (KFT). Rio Tinto (RTP) rose.

Reuters:   Kraft (KFT) bid $16.7 billion for Cadbury.

Reuters:   China Trust bid $2.4 billion for AIG’s (AIG) Taiwasn unit. Read More »

Posted on: September 7, 2009 – 6:58 am in Press Digest, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Berkshire Hathaway & Buffett Q2-2009 Holdings G to O (BRK-A, GCI, GE, GSK, HD, IR, IRM, JNJ, KFT, LOW, MTB, MCO, NLC, NKE, NSC, NRG)

Buffett ImageBerkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A)(BRK-B) has released its Q2-2009  public equity holdings as of June 30, 2009.  There are some portfolio changes that have been seen here from the end of Q1 and we have broken these down into 3 groups of ‘A to F’ and  ‘G to O’ and ‘P to Z’ so these are easier to see on one page.  Here are Warren Buffett’s holdings and accompanying notes for the group ‘G to O.’

  • Gannett Co. (NYSE: GCI) 3.447 million shares, same as before.
  • General Electric Corp. (NYSE: GE) 7.777 million shares is the same as before, but does not include the preferred investment from late 2008.
  • GlaxoSmithkline (NYSE: GSK) 1.51 million shares, same as before.
  • Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) 2.757 million, actually less than the 3.7 million shares in Q1.
  • Ingersoll-Rand (NYSE: IR) 7.78 million, same as last quarter.
  • Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM) 3.3722 million shares, same as before.
  • Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) was just over 36.91 million shares; ABOVE the 32.5 million last quarter and above the 28.6 million in Q4.  This is still well under the huge 62 million shares last year.
  • Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) over 138 million; looks roughly the same as before.
  • Lowe’s Companies (NYSE: LOW) 6.5 million shares, same as before unlike at Home Depot.
  • M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB) 6.71 million shares, same as before.
  • Moody’s (NYSE: MCO) 48 million shares are listed as the same as before, however we already know that Buffett CUT THIS SINCE JUNE 30 and may cut it further.
  • Nalco Holding (NYSE: NLC) 9.0 million shares, same as Q1 after the Q1 position had been raised.
  • Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) 7.641 million shares, same as before.
  • Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) 1.933 million shares, same as before.
  • NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) 7.2 million, same as before.

BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘A to F’

BUFFETT HOLDINGS ‘P to Z’

JON C. OGG
AUGUST 14, 2009

Posted on: August 14, 2009 – 5:02 pm in Buffett, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fighting Swine Flu The Wal-Mart Way (WMT, AZN, GSK, NOVN, SNY)

WMT

You can just see the TV advertisements now… Wal-Mart and Uncle Sam are “rolling back” swine flu.

The retailer is in talks with federal officials about possibly putting vaccination sites in its stores this fall. It’s a smart idea that should boost Wal-Mart Stores Inc’s (NYSE: WMT) foot traffic, and give the federal government a fighting chance to reach aggressive its inoculation goals, especially in children. Read More »

Posted on: July 30, 2009 – 3:28 pm in Pharmaceuticals, Retail, , , , ,

Drug Firms Look For Big Profits In Swine Flu Treatments

biotechThe swine flue is apparently more dangerous that the garden variety of flu that has been part of the world health picture for several decades. It is more likely to cause pneumonia and other complications.

Drug companies hate to be left out of treating widespread diseases, so several are racing to get out vaccines for swine flu for release are soon as the beginning of next year. Read More »

Posted on: July 23, 2009 – 5:06 am in Drug companies, Pharmaceuticals,

Media Digest 7/23/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

newspaperReuters:   Obama says healthcare reform is essential to the recovery.

Reuters:   CIT (CIT) bond advisers will push for Chapter 11.

Reuters:   Democrats will fight with banks on consumer agency.

Reuters:   Amazon (AMZN) bought Zappos for $829 million.

Reuters:   Porsche approved Qatar talks and fired its CEO.

Reuters:   Bristol-Myers (BMY) bought Medarx (MEDX) for $2.4 billon. Read More »

Posted on: July 23, 2009 – 2:57 am in Press Digest, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Next Blockbuster Drugs: A $170 Billion Opportunity

biotech

Safety and efficacy data are critical to drug candidates. But what really makes a potential drug attractive is strong top-line data, a new biotech-based treatment, and a massive potential market.

With help from Thomson Pharma and our own backlog of coverage, BioHealthInvestor.com, a 247wallst.com website, sought to find the most promising biopharmaceutical candidate from both biotech and pharmaceutical companies in each of the top 10 most prevalent medical conditions in the U.S. Read More »

Posted on: July 22, 2009 – 4:01 am in Biotech, Drug companies, Editor's Picks, Pharmaceuticals, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Media Digest 7/21/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

newspaperReuters:   Microsoft (MSFT) is putting more R&D in India.

Reuters:   CIT (CIT) confirmed that it rasied $3 billion.

Reuters:   Bernanke said Fed can control inflation.

Reuters:   California lawmakers agreed to a state budget.

Reuters:   Small business  groups are  seeking help to keep companies afloat.

Reuters:    TI (TXN) profits and outlook beat expectations. Read More »

Posted on: July 21, 2009 – 2:53 am in Banking, Compensation, Drug companies, Earnings, Healthcare, Housing, Internet, Media, Oil & Gas, Old Media, Press Digest, Research, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

BioHealth Business Daily (CI, AET, MYL, JAZZ, PTIE, GSK, ALNY, FOLD, HALO, AOB, STEM)

Here are some of the top stories affecting key drug and biotech stocks that are covered in-depth today at BioHealthInvestor.com:

Cigna corp. (NYSE: CI), Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET), and other managed care companies are rising despite making health care reform concessions, as shareholders see they have a seat at the bargaining table.

Mylan Inc. (NASDAQ: MYL) has received FDA approval for a generic version of an AstraZeneca (AZN) prostate cancer drug — a rather unusual new generic.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: JAZZ) shares are up more than 25 percent after the company took steps to ease a cash crunch that had curtailed drug development.

King Pharmaceuticals (KG) and Pain Therapeutics (PTIE) said  they expect to resubmit a new drug application in mid-2010, slightly later than anticipated.

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) announced a positive study on its Cervarix vaccine, although it’s unclear if the company can play catch-up to Merck & Co.’s (NYSE: MRK) Gardasil.

See our in-depth feature this week on five fast-growing biotechs with improving analyst estimates: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), Amicus Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: FOLD), Halozyme Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: HALO), American Oriental Bioengineering Inc. (NYSE: AOB), and Stemcells Inc. (Nasdaq: STEM).

-The 24/7 Wall St. Team

Posted on: July 7, 2009 – 11:03 am in Biotech, Drug companies, FDA, Medical, Trading Alert, , , , , , , , , , ,

Anti-Smoking Drugs Could Cause Suicide (PFE)(GSK)

magazinIt is hard to say whether a person is better off stopping smoking and lessening their chances of a heart attack or killing themselves.  Some of the anti-smoking drugs from Pfizer (PFE) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) can have terrible side effects.  The drugs are Chantix, made by Pfizer, and Zyban, made by GlaxoSmithKline. Inexplicably, the FDA will allow the treatments to stay on the market.

The New York Times reports that “Federal drug regulators warned Wednesday that patients taking two popular drugs to stop smoking should be watched closely for signs of serious mental illness, as reports mount of suicides among the drugs’ users.” Read More »

Posted on: July 2, 2009 – 4:59 am in Pharmaceuticals, ,

Media Digest 7/2/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

newspaperReuters:   California declared a financial emergency.

Reuters:   An SEC attorney raised concern about a Madoff report in 2004.

Reuters:   Auto parts supplier Lear filed for bankruptcy.

Reuters:   NYC apartment sales are down more than 50%.

Reuters:   Beijing Automotive will bid for Opel.

Reuters:   GM told a judge asset sales was its only option. Read More »

Posted on: July 2, 2009 – 3:04 am in Autos, Banking, China, Compensation, Economy, Emerging Markets, FDA, Internet, Metals, Oil & Gas, Press Digest, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Biotech Industry Prepares For A Wave Of Consolidation

biotech

Underscoring just how much big pharma will depend on biotech acquisitions for future revenue, an analysis published by Evaluate Pharma today suggests half of the top 100 drugs worldwide by 2014 – and all of the top six — will be biotechs.

Three in the top six – the anticancer drugs Avastin, Rituxan and Herceptin, — are all made by Roche, which recently moved to acquire even more biotech drugs with its plans to acquire Genentech. Read More »

Posted on: June 17, 2009 – 6:36 pm in Biotech, Mergers and Buy Outs, , , , , , ,

Media Digest 6/16/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

newspaperReuters:   The US outlined new financial market reforms.

Reuters:   Obama lobbied MDs on his new healthcare package.

Reuters:   Russia hosted the first BRIC summit.

Reuters:   B of A’s (BAC) BlackRock (BLK) stake is more appealing.

Reuters:   Samsung and Nokia (NOK) are pushing into smartphones. (MOT)(AAPL)(RIMM). Read More »

Posted on: June 16, 2009 – 3:01 am in Autos, Banking, Drug companies, Healthcare, Housing, Labor & Unions, Management Change, Media, PC Companies, Pharmaceuticals, Press Digest, Technology, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Media Digest 6/12/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

newspaperReuters:  Baclays (BCS) sold BCI to Blackrock (BLK) for $13.3 billion

Reuters:   WHO declared a flu epidemic

Reuters:   Congress bash Fed, Treasury, and B of A (BAC) on Merrill

Reuters:   US is near tighter control of tobacco by FDA.

Reuters:   New research shows mortgage delinquencies have bottomed

Reuters:   World Bank sees a steeper global economy contraction. Read More »

Posted on: June 12, 2009 – 2:53 am in Airlines, Autos, Banking, China, Consumer Electronics, Defense, Drug companies, Economy, Financial Stocks, Housing, Internet, Management Change, Media, Mergers and Buy Outs, Oil & Gas, PC Companies, Pharmaceuticals, Press Digest, Technology, Wireless, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Full 2009 ASCO Cancer & Oncology Primer (ABII, AEZS, ALTH, AMGN, APPA, ARQL, BMY, CLDX, CELG, CTIC, CGRB, LLY, EXEL, GHDX, GSK, IMGN, MEDX, MDVN, MITI, OGXI, OSIP, PPHM, PFE, ROSG, SNTA, TRBN, ZIOP, ZGEN)

We have compiled an updated lengthy 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, document showing many company cancer data presentations slated to start this weekend.   This is broken down in drug and biotech companies with share values, ranges, and recent developments for the following drug and biotech companies:  Abraxis BioScience, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABII), AEterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS), Allos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTH), Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN), A.P. Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: APPA), Arqule Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL), Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), Celldex Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CLDX), Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG), Cell Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CTIC), Cougar Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CGRB), Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), Exelixis (NASDAQ: EXEL), Genomic Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: GHDX), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) , Immunogen (NASDAQ: IMGN), Medarex (NASDAQ: MEDX), Medivation, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDVN), Micromet, Inc. (NASDAQ: MITI), OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OGXI), OSI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: OSIP), Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPHM), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Rosetta Genomics (NASDAQ:ROSG), Synta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SNTA), Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRBN), ZIOPHARM Oncology (NASDAQ: ZIOP), and ZymoGenetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZGEN).

The full presentation can be seen at BioHealthInvestor.com.

JON C. OGG
May 27, 2009

Posted on: May 27, 2009 – 1:34 pm in Biotech, Drug companies, FDA, Medical, Pharmaceuticals, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Buffett & Berkshire Hathaway Disclose Holdings G to O (BRK-A, GCI, GE, GSK, HD, IR, IRM, JNJ, KFT, LOW, MTB, MCO, NLC, NKE, NSC, NRG)

Buffett ImageThe first quarter of 2009 Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A)(BRK-B) holdings are now out for the cut off date here of March 31, 2009.  There are some changes from the end of Q4.  We have broken these down into 3 groups A to F, G to O, and P to Z so these fit on one page easier.  Here is the list ‘G to O.’

  • Gannett Co. (NYSE: GCI) 3.447 million shares, the same as before.
  • General Electric Corp. (NYSE: GE) 7.777 million shares is the same as before, but does not include the 10% preferred from last year.
  • GlaxoSmithkline (NYSE: GSK) 1.51 million shares, same as before.
  • Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) 3.7 million shares; same as before.
  • Ingersoll-Rand (NYSE: IR) 7.78 million, same as last quarter.
  • Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM) 3.3722 million shares, same as before.
  • Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) about 32.5 million, ABOVE the prior 28.6 million shares but still down from the 62 million last year.
  • Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) over 138 million; looks roughly the same as before.
  • Lowe’s Companies (NYSE: LOW) 6.5 million shares, same as before.
  • M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB) 6.71 million shares, same as before.
  • Moody’s (NYSE: MCO) 48 million shares, same as before.
  • Nalco Holding (NYSE: NLC) 9.0 million shares; ABOVE our report of 8.730 million last quarter.
  • Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) 7.641 million shares, same as before.
  • Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) 1.933 million shares, same as before.
  • NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) 7.2 million, same as before.

Here is the full list of Buffett holdings “A to F”

Here is the full list of Buffett holdings “P to Z”

Jon C. Ogg
May 15, 2009

Posted on: May 15, 2009 – 4:04 pm in Activist Investor, Buffett, Buffett Holdings, Conglomerates, Insider Activity, Mutual Funds, Value Investing, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,