Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., acknowledged one of his biggest financial blunders in buying Dexter Shoe Co. in 1993. Dexter, a Maine-based shoemaker, was initially perceived as a thriving business. Buffett remarked in his 2014 letter to shareholders that he had made many mistakes but one stood out as being particularly bad.
Buffett wrote, “Even with Charlie’s blueprint, I have made plenty of mistakes since Waumbec. The most gruesome was Dexter Shoe. When we purchased the company in 1993, it had a terrific record and in no way looked to me like a cigar butt.”
However, the investment quickly soured as Dexter’s competitive strengths diminished because of foreign competition, a factor Buffett said he failed to foresee.
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By 1999, around 93% of shoes purchased in the U.S. were imported, primarily because of lower labor costs abroad. Despite initial profitability and strong management, Dexter could not maintain its competitive edge in the face of these market shifts. Efforts to revitalize the company, including sourcing more shoes internationally and closing some U.S. plants, failed. As a result, the company’s value plummeted to zero.
In his letter, Buffett highlighted the enormity of this misstep, stating, “As a financial disaster, this one deserves a spot in “The Guinness Book of World Records.” Buffett’s error was compounded by the fact that the acquisition was made using Berkshire Hathaway stock rather than cash.
“I gave Berkshire stock to the sellers of Dexter rather than cash, and the shares I used for the purchase are now worth about $5.7 billion,” he wrote. This decision significantly amplified the cost of the mistake. As of 2024, the value of the 25,203 Class A shares of Berkshire Hathaway, used to acquire Dexter Shoe in 1993, is approximately $14.39 billion.
In the 2007 letter to shareholders Buffett wrote, “To date, Dexter is the worst deal that I’ve made.” Embracing the reality of investment decisions, he further noted his openness to future errors, saying, “But I’ll make more mistakes in the future — you can bet on that.” With a touch of humor, Buffett likened his experiences to a line from a Bobby Bare country song: “I’ve never gone to bed with an ugly woman, but I’ve sure woke up with a few.”
The failure of Dexter Shoe not only resulted in a financial loss for Berkshire Hathaway but also had significant impacts on the local community. In his 2015 letter, Buffett acknowledged the wider consequences, saying, “Our once-prosperous Dexter operation folded, putting 1,600 employees in a small Maine town out of work. Many were past the point in life at which they could learn another trade. We lost our entire investment, which we could afford, but many workers lost a livelihood they could not replace.”
Buffett’s reflections on the Dexter Shoe acquisition serve as a lesson in the risks of overlooking market dynamics and the importance of evaluating the intrinsic value of a business. He emphasized that similar errors occurred when he used Berkshire shares to purchase businesses that only achieved lackluster earnings, stating, “Mistakes of that kind are deadly.”
He acknowledges that even with his extensive experience, he is not immune to misjudgments and is bound to make mistakes again. Buffett’s attitude toward his investment failures is not one of regret but rather of valuable learning experiences that have contributed to his overall success and investment philosophy.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
