Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)(BRK.B) is also an active acquirer, both at the parent company level and through its various subsidiaries. Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) is holding cash reserves of $40-50 billion and has expressed strong interest in making more very large acquisitions. Berkshire recently agreed to swap its long-time holdings of the Washington Post Company (now called Graham Holdings) for a TV station and Berkshire shares held by that company. When completed, this tax-efficient transaction will reduce the number of Berkshire shares outstanding and add another cash generating asset to the fold. Berkshire is constantly growing and evolving as a group of operating businesses but also, in extreme stock market dislocations like 2008, Warren has the courage and capacity to make bold investment moves. Berkshire has been a holding in our stock funds continuously since our firm opened in 1983.
From Wallace Weitz (Trades, Portfolio)'s Q2 Shareholder Letter.