Executive Producer
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Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway had a strong 2009, but not strong enough to outperform the benchmark S&P 500 stock index.
In his just-released annual letter to Berkshire shareholders, Buffett reports the company’s net worth increased by $21.8 billion last year.
That increased the company’s per-share book value by 19.8 percent to $84,487.
But the S&P, including dividends, jumped 26.5 percent in 2009. That’s 6.7 percentage points better than Berkshire’s gain.
It’s the first year since 2004 that Berkshire has underperformed the S&P.
Last year, Berkshire’s per-share book value fell 9.6 percent, but that was much better than the S&P’s 37.0 percent plunge.
Berkshire has underperformed the S&P in just seven calendar years since Buffett took over in 1965.
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Current Berkshire stock prices:
Class A: [BRK.A 119800.00 
1000.00 (+0.84%) 
]
Class B: [BRK.B 80.13 0.45 (+0.56%) ]
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Download the 2009 Warren Buffett Letter & 2009 Annual Report to Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders
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The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, Second Edition by Warren E. Buffett Buy new: $25.91 / Used from: $20.00 Usually ships in 24 hours |
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