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Other investments
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Investments, All Other Investments [Abstract]  
Other investments

Note 7. Other investments

Other investments include preferred stock of Bank of America Corporation (“BAC”), warrants to purchase common stock of BAC and preferred stock of Restaurant Brands International, Inc. (“RBI”). Other investments are classified as available-for-sale and carried at fair value and are shown in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as follows (in millions).

 

     Cost          Fair Value  
      June 30, 
2017
      December 31, 
2016
          June 30, 
2017
      December 31, 
2016
 

Insurance and other

    $   6,720       $ 6,720         $   16,838       $ 14,364  

Finance and financial products

     1,000        1,000          3,396        2,892  
  

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 
    $   7,720       $ 7,720         $   20,234       $ 17,256  
  

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

We currently 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 aggregate cost of $5 billion ($7.142857/share). On June 28, 2017, BAC’s Board of Directors announced plans to increase the quarterly dividend on BAC’s common stock to $0.12 per share, beginning in the third quarter of 2017. On June 30, 2017, we announced our intention to exercise all of the BAC Warrants we currently own when the BAC quarterly dividend increase occurs. We currently expect to use substantially all of our BAC Preferred as consideration for the $5 billion cost to exercise the BAC Warrants.

We currently own Class A 9% Cumulative Compounding Perpetual Preferred Shares of RBI (“RBI Preferred”) having a stated value of $3 billion. RBI, domiciled in Canada, franchises and operates quick service restaurants. 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. In the second quarter of 2017, RBI announced its intention to redeem all or a portion of our RBI Preferred investment. 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.