The Silent De-Levering: Berkshire Smaller Per Dollar of Book cover

The Silent De-Levering: Berkshire Smaller Per Dollar of Book

Published in Headquarters
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Four days ago we documented that Berkshire has lagged the S&P 500 by 2.8 percentage points per year since 2010. This piece asks the structural question: why? The answer is hiding in plain sight on the balance sheet. Berkshire's assets-to-equity ratio fell from 2.27× in 2009 to 1.70× in 2025 — a quarter of the company's structural leverage has quietly disappeared.


Gold, Berkshire, and the S&P 500: 1988-2026 cover

Gold, Berkshire, and the S&P 500: 1988-2026

Published in Headquarters
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A 22-year follow-up to our 2024 piece, with the lens stretched back to 1988. Berkshire has reverted to its long-term mean against the S&P 500; the S&P 500 has done no such thing. Shiller CAPE at 42, Buffett indicator at a record 233%, $397 billion in cash and a buyback button just barely twitched on.