Berkshire Hathaway’s equity portfolio underwent significant changes during the fourth quarter of 2010 due to Lou Simpson’s retirement from GEICO. Although most media reports attribute Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio moves exclusively to Warren Buffett, a significant portfolio has long been managed by Mr. Simpson. Read this article for more details.
Was Buffett Too Easy on Moody’s in FCIC Testimony?
Warren Buffett testified yesterday before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission along with Moody’s Chairman and CEO Raymond McDaniel. The purpose of the hearing was to probe the failure of the rating agencies to accurately rate securities associated with subprime housing loans during the real estate bubble. Was he too easy on Moody’s? Read this article for one opinion.
Credit Rating “Vigilantes” May Impose Fiscal Discipline
Those who followed politics in the early 1990s will recall the impact that “bond market vigilantes” had on the Clinton Administration’s fiscal policies. Will credit rating agencies replace the bond market as a form of fiscal discipline in the years to come? Read this article for more information.
Morningstar Enters the Credit Ratings Fray
Morningstar has announced the launch of its corporate credit ratings initiative which will initially cover 100 companies with plans for expansion to 1,000 companies as additional credit analysts are hired in the coming months. As we have discussed in recent months, the economic moats of the established credit rating firms such as Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s has continued to shrink in light of multiple high profile ratings failures during the financial crisis. Read this article for more details.
Credit Rating Moats Keep Shrinking
The Wall Street Journal has reported that certain debt issuers, including Heineken N.V. and Credit Suisse Group, have been able to sell bonds without obtaining traditional credit ratings on the securities: While small in scope so far, the deals indicate