Brian Byrne’s Post

Notes from the 2024 Berkshire Hathaway meeting (2)   🌎 International Investment  Several questions on whether Berkshire Hathaway will grow investment in a particular international market.  Warren Buffett:  We predominantly invest in America, because we know the rules, strengths, and weaknesses of the country. Note many American companies are also international companies. We do not rule out other markets entirely when opportunities present. Example: Japan.    🇨🇦 Canada  When asked about the investment prospects in Canada, Warren first directed the question to the Canadian on his left - Greg.  Greg puts Canada in the camp that they know the market well and are comfortable to invest. The performances of their Canadian investments are in sync with their American investments.  Buffett recalled they once swiftly struck a deal in 2 days with a Canadian lender with temporary trouble (Home Capital) - as an example to support Greg’s statement.  The latest pessimistic atmosphere around the capital gain tax hike did not seem to reach Warren and Greg. This is due to their very selective approach and long term holding philosophy.  #BerkshireHathaway #WarrenBuffett #CharlieMunger #ValueInvesting

UK Plc is seeing overseas buyers but not so much domestic interest. Who’s right? Henry Lowson, CFA, Head of UK Alpha Strategies, looks at the UK economy and corporate sector heading into 2025. Read now: https://ow.ly/gqWp50UoYiv #Outlook2025 #UKEquities

🚨 Breaking Business News 🚨 The UK's economic growth forecast for 2024 has been significantly revised upwards, with the OECD now predicting a growth rate of 1.1%. This leap in growth places the UK among the fastest-growing economies in Europe, tied with Canada and France, and only behind the US. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has welcomed this news, emphasizing that it bolsters the optimistic outlook for the UK’s recovery and economic stability under the new government. This growth is expected to provide a positive boost to the upcoming budget discussions. In other news, SEGRO PLC, a major player in the real estate sector, has announced progress on its acquisition of Tritax EuroBox, setting the stage for increased investment in logistics infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Alieus Hedge Fund has raised an impressive $1.5 million within just 15 days, showcasing growing investor confidence in innovative financial solutions. 📈 What do you think this means for UK businesses in the months ahead? Let’s discuss! #UKBusiness #EconomicGrowth #BusinessNews #Investment

Canadian industries often operate as oligopolies, with a few dominant players shaping sectors like telecom, groceries, and insurance. Chris McHaney, CFA of Global X Canada highlights their stability, high dividends, and long-term investment potential, despite concerns about innovation and competition. https://hubs.la/Q02Z4b_v0 #Investing #ETFs

"Almost all of the times I tried to invest in building new productive capacity, increasing the size of the economy, I lost money. Every time I bought things that already existed, I made a ton of money" - Gary Stevenson Who is Gary Stevenson? Gary Stevenson entered the London trading floor of Citibank as a 21-year-old boy in the summer of 2008, weeks before the implosion of the global economy. He left it in 2012 as Citibank's most profitable foreign exchange trader, having made millions from betting billions on the long aftershock of the Great Recession. Think about what he said for a second. To make any profitable investment, you need a customer at the end (duh) but the story over the past 20 years has been the impoverishment of the middle class which is the majority of the customers at the expense of the very rich. This has been on my mind lately as I find myself comparing the U.S. to the Canadian economy. Where has investment been going in Canada since the GFC? Relative to the U.S., we are far behind and concentrated in one asset class. As the middle class keeps getting squeezed, there will be fewer customers resulting in less investment towards increasing productive capacity. This will increase the price of commodities and existing alternative investments that may already be out of the reach of ordinary citizens. This isn't a tax the rich or capitalism is bad post, I love money as much as the next guy but I wanted to hear from people smarter than me to see if there is a way to fix this? I'll leave you with this final bit, short-term fiscal policy and deficits may not have an immediate impact on aggregate demand but over time crowding out effects can have major impacts on the economy.

Kevin Kidney, Investment Director, looks at the trade implications of Trump’s tariff intentions for Mexico and Canada and the likelihood of such policy becoming reality. With all time highs in the S&P500 and a 30 month high in hiring intentions, the story is of strong US growth. #TruePotential #Investing #USEconomy #Tariffs #USTrade #Trump

An interesting The Guardian perspective on how Britain could be great again. There is little to zero chance the U.K. will stop selling off its family assets of silver and gold in order to become a global powerhouse. Unfortunately the U.K. feels it’s an open market and free market rules apply so everything is up for grabs or sale and if they are not then bring in competition via inward investment to kill off any reminants of indigenous companies. Don’t get me wrong it’s great for shareholders who make profits when the assets are sold especially if the companies are all sold within ISAs so no capital gains taxes are due but is there a sense we are selling the future of the U.K. down the road and the country will be poorer and less diverse for our children, absolutely! The U.K. is missing a nursery to create stars of the future and build wealth so as our companies that took 50 years to create are sold off overseas we will progressively become irrelevant and less attractive. More importantly the value will be extracted overseas as the article describes using low tax transfer mechanisms to pay 0-5% corporation tax to suck the financial lifeblood from the U.K. I suppose I should give up on innovation and focus on picking U.K. companies that will be acquired in 2025 so I can generate short term wealth and make hay whilst the sun shines like the rest of the U.K.! Or should we try and stop the acquisitions and build an innovation industry over the next 25 years that sits above party politics? The key here is what actually is Reforms policies on innovation and industrial growth? Looking at the probability of a successful industrial strategy in the U.K. I think I will look to purchase ITV, Vodafone, BT Group and Crest Nicholson to name a few as they are all ripe for a takeover in 2025 😂 https://lnkd.in/ea_rWpXv

The UK economy is navigating turbulent times, your business doesn’t have to sink with the ship. As financial pressures intensify, distressed businesses must consider every available option. Solutions such as restructuring or liquidation can provide a crucial lifeline. Get in touch for a confidential consultation today.  #UKEconomy #EconomicShocks #FinancialDistress 

Is now finally the time to pay attention? Over the past decade, weak leadership has created one of the most challenging environments for Canadian businesses and business owners. Since Justin Trudeau has been in office, we’ve seen: 🤑 Increased taxes and regulations that weigh heavily on entrepreneurs. 🤑 Frivolous spending—not to be confused with investing—that has driven up the cost of living for all Canadians. 🤑 An economic climate where taxes, inflation, and poor-performing investments (yes, I’m looking at your Canadian stocks and mutual funds from the bank) are quietly eating away at your hard-earned money. I was first introduced to Justin Trudeau’s politics in 2015 when his government helped to implement a ban on onshore oil and gas exploration in Atlantic Canada. My career as an environmental engineer came to a screaming halt. Feeling like I was smart with money, I entered the financial industry in 2016 to help others. But it wasn’t until 2018 that I truly realized: the traditional mutual fund and investment advice you get at the banks ALSO needs a serious review. Here’s what I’ve learned: In times of weak leadership, strong leaders must step up. I made it my mission to ensure my clients had access to the best investments and strategies—not cookie-cutter solutions. My clients now have truly diversified portfolios that include: • US equities • Real estate • Currencies—US and Bitcoin • Precious metals • Private equity • A properly designed whole life policy • Strategies to reduce taxes and protect wealth Here’s the truth: The challenges aren’t going away, but you can still thrive—if you take the right actions now. So, I’ll ask you: What are you going to do to ensure you thrive in 2025? Are you going to let Ottawa dictate your future, or are you ready to take control? If you’re ready to step up, let’s talk. Now is not the time for indifference — it’s the time for action. Let’s Design An Even Better Future! #FinancialPlanning #GrowControlKeep #TaxEfficiency #WealthBuilding #TheFinancialEngineer #Consulting

Amidst the recent doom and gloom of New Zealand’s economic data, it is crucial to remember that diversification acts as a buffer, avoiding the pitfalls of home bias. No market consistently outperforms or underperforms forever. After 4.5 years of flat performance for the NZ bourse, its time will come. #diversification