Is Berkshire Hathaway the Smartest Investment You Can Make Today?

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B) has crossed the $1 trillion mark in market value this year -- a milestone famed investor and Berkshire CEO and chairman Warren Buffett should be proud of as he gets ready to step down from his chief executive role at the end of this year. The Omaha-based conglomerate owns insurers like GEICO and General Re, the BNSF railroad, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and a wide range of manufacturing, service, and retail operations -- alongside a massive portfolio of stocks. Shares have risen about 8% this year, lagging the overall market but putting up a nice return for a mature, cash cow that always puts risk management first.The bigger story isn't the stock chart, though -- it's the business. Berkshire is run to withstand shocks and be ready for opportunity. That design shows up most clearly in its cash position and in management's insistence on staying patient until prices make sense. Put differently, this is not a stock likely to deliver the highest return in a bull market, but it may be the smartest addition to a diversified portfolio if you care about risk-adjusted results.Continue readingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool