Bear Bites Warren Buffett. (Buy and Hold).(Berkshire Hathaway's stock performance in 2001)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Research, January, 2002 by Martin, Robert Scott

THE YEAR 2001 has not been kind to the Sage of Omaha.

According to SEC filings, the stock holdings of Warren Buffett's chief investment vehicle, Berkshire Hathaway, lost $10.4 billion in value in the first nine months of the year.

The losses amount to 28 percent of the company's total stock holdings at the end of 2000. Since the S&P 500 fell 21 percent in the same period, this means legendary investment picker Buffett -- the second richest man in the world - actually under-performed the broader market.

The chief contributor to Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio pain? American Express, which has seen its share price chopped almost in half. Buffett owns about 11 percent of the company.

More losses lie ahead, since Berkshire Hathaway is...

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