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Other investments
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Investments, All Other Investments [Abstract]  
Other investments

Note 6. Other investments

Other investments include preferred stock of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (“Wrigley”), The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) and Bank of America Corporation (“BAC”) warrants to purchase common stock of BAC and preferred and common stock of Restaurant Brands International, Inc. (“RBI”). Other investments are classified as available-for-sale and are shown in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as follows (in millions).

 

     Cost          Fair Value  
      September 30, 
2016
      December 31, 
2015
          September 30, 
2016
      December 31, 
2015
 

Insurance and other

    $ 9,970            $ 9,970           $ 15,415            $ 15,998    

Finance and financial products

     1,000             3,052            2,078             5,719    
  

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 
    $ 10,970            $ 13,022           $ 17,493            $ 21,717   
  

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

During 2008, we purchased $2.1 billion of Wrigley preferred stock that was acquired pursuant to a shareholder agreement in conjunction with Mars Incorporated’s acquisition of Wrigley. Pursuant to certain put and call provisions in the shareholder agreement, up to 50% of our original investment was redeemable over a 90-day period that was scheduled to begin on October 6, 2016. On August 8, 2016, we entered into a stock purchase agreement with Mars, under which Mars agreed to acquire all of the Wrigley preferred stock for approximately $4.56 billion, which included a prorated dividend that would have otherwise been payable on October 6, 2016. The transaction was completed on September 27, 2016.

We own 3,000,000 shares of Series A Cumulative Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock of Dow (“Dow Preferred”) with a liquidation value of $1,000 per share. Each share of the Dow Preferred is convertible into 24.201 shares of Dow common stock (equivalent to a conversion price of $41.32 per share). Dow currently has the option to cause some or all of the Dow Preferred to be converted into Dow common stock at the then applicable conversion rate, if the New York Stock Exchange closing price of its common stock exceeds $53.72 per share for any 20 trading days within a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending the day before Dow exercises its option. The Dow Preferred is entitled to dividends at a rate of 8.5% per annum.

We own 50,000 shares of 6% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock of BAC (“BAC Preferred”) with a liquidation value of $100,000 per share and warrants to purchase 700,000,000 shares of common stock of BAC (“BAC Warrants”). The BAC Preferred is redeemable at the option of BAC beginning on May 7, 2019 at a redemption price of $105,000 per share (or $5.25 billion in aggregate). The BAC Warrants expire in 2021 and are exercisable for an additional aggregate cost of $5 billion ($7.142857/share).

We own Class A 9% Cumulative Compounding Perpetual Preferred Shares of RBI (“RBI Preferred”) having a stated value of $3 billion. RBI, domiciled in Canada, is the ultimate parent company of Burger King and Tim Hortons. The RBI Preferred is entitled to dividends on a cumulative basis of 9% per annum plus an additional amount, if necessary, to produce an after-tax yield to Berkshire as if the dividends were paid by a U.S.-based company. The RBI Preferred is redeemable at the option of RBI beginning on December 12, 2017. If not redeemed prior to December 12, 2024, we can cause RBI to redeem the RBI Preferred. In either case, the redemption price will be 109.9% of the stated value of such shares.