Buffett’s Final Feast

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Old Mr. Buffett, you see, was a bit of a magpie. For decades, he’d been collecting shiny things – companies, mostly – and tucking them away in the enormous nest he’d built called Berkshire Hathaway. A truly enormous nest, mind you, stuffed with more money than you could count even if you started when you were a babe in arms. And for a very long time, this particular magpie was rather successful at it, piling up returns that made even the most seasoned investors blink in astonishment.

Now, Mr. Buffett, bless his cotton socks, decided it was time to step down from being the chief hoarder. He handed the reins to a fellow named Greg Abel – a perfectly pleasant chap, no doubt, but lacking the original’s peculiar knack for sniffing out a bargain. But don’t think for a moment that the old bird simply settled down with a cup of cocoa. Oh no. He was still busy, shuffling things about, making little adjustments before he finally took his leave.

The clever clogs at the Securities and Exchange Commission, they require these big money-grabbers to tell everyone what they’ve been buying and selling. It’s a bit like forcing a greedy goblin to list the contents of his sack. These reports, called 13Fs, are a fascinating peek into the minds of these financial fellows, revealing their secret cravings and peculiar preferences.

And what did these reports reveal about Mr. Buffett’s final months? Well, it seems he was having a bit of a clear-out. He started shedding shares of Bank of America – a perfectly respectable bank, but one he’d clearly decided wasn’t quite sparkly enough anymore. It was like tossing out old marbles when you’ve discovered a whole chest full of jewels. He was selling off nearly half his holding, a considerable pile of paper, let me assure you. Meanwhile, he was quietly accumulating shares of Domino’s Pizza. Yes, you heard right. Pizza.

Cashing in the Bank

For years, Bank of America had been one of Mr. Buffett’s prized possessions, a hefty chunk of his fortune. He understood banks, you see. They’re like enormous, complicated machines that churn out money if you know how to grease the gears. And these gears, of course, whir faster when interest rates climb. The higher the rates, the more juice they squeeze out of the public. But Mr. Buffett, being a shrewd one, sensed a change in the wind.

The fellow was a master of spotting a bargain. When he first dipped his beak into Bank of America back in 2011, the shares were practically giving themselves away, trading at a pittance. But times had changed. The shares had become rather… inflated. Like a pufferfish, puffed up with air. He likely figured it was time to take his profits before the bubble burst. And, let’s be honest, a bit of a tax advantage never hurt anyone.

He also suspected that the Federal Reserve, those mysterious money-makers, would soon start lowering interest rates. And when rates fall, banks like Bank of America tend to… well, let’s just say their gears don’t whir quite so enthusiastically. It was a bit like predicting a rainstorm. A clever fellow prepares for it.

A Slice of the Action

While he was busy pruning his bank holdings, Mr. Buffett was quietly building a rather substantial stake in Domino’s Pizza. A pizza company! It’s enough to make a proper investor choke on his cucumber sandwich. But Mr. Buffett wasn’t just buying pizza; he was buying into a remarkably well-oiled machine.

For five consecutive quarters, he was scooping up shares, adding to his pile with each passing month. He ended up owning nearly 9% of the entire company. A truly enormous slice of the pie. What was the secret? Well, Domino’s had learned a valuable lesson: admit your mistakes. Back in 2009, they publicly confessed that their pizza was, shall we say, lacking. It was a bold move, but it worked. People admired their honesty. And a little honesty goes a long way, even in the cutthroat world of finance.

They also set themselves ambitious goals, looking years ahead instead of just scrambling for short-term gains. They embraced technology, using clever gadgets to improve efficiency and deliver pizzas faster. And, perhaps most importantly, they expanded their reach around the globe, spreading their cheesy goodness to every corner of the earth. It was a recipe for success, you see. A perfectly baked recipe.

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So, what does it all mean? Well, it suggests that even a seasoned investor like Mr. Buffett isn’t immune to the allure of a good story. A company that admits its flaws, sets ambitious goals, and delivers a consistently satisfying product – that’s a company worth investing in. And sometimes, just sometimes, that company happens to sell pizza. A rather delicious pizza, at that.

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2026-02-02 12:12