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Meanwhile In Omaha

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Meanwhile In Omaha
Posted by kgbw49 on Friday, February 23, 2018 6:01 AM

https://www.wsj.com/articles/playing-with-100-billion-warren-buffett-is-giant-trader-of-u-s-treasury-bills-1519381801

Wonder if there might be some of this put to use to expand BNSF, particularly if CSX decides to pare some contiguous routes or North Baltimore.

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Posted by caldreamer on Friday, February 23, 2018 8:16 AM

Unforunatly the STB would not allow BNSF to buy CSX, but if they did the cost would be pocket change to Buffett.

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Posted by kgbw49 on Friday, February 23, 2018 8:29 AM

All of CSX might be too big of a bite as CSX with a market cap of $48 billion would probably take something like $65+  billion plus assumption of debt to acquire even if it could somehow pass STB muster.

But perhaps components such as North Baltimore and one of the two tracks on the B&O from Chicago to North Baltimore to be operated as a Joint Line similar to the Joint Line in Colorado.

Or perhaps some other components.

Just surmising since Berkshire is sitting on such a large cash pile and has BNSF.

Who knows what components they might get for, say, $10-$12 billion?

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Posted by Dakguy201 on Friday, February 23, 2018 8:44 AM

As of 9-30-17 Berkshire had $35 billion in cash and $67 billion in Treasury bills.  Should they want it, there is not a lot of problem paying cash for CSX.

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, February 23, 2018 9:37 AM

    Could BNSF just lease the part they want from CSX or some such arrangement? .....add something about not buying the cow when you're getting the milk already or something......Mischief

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by LensCapOn on Friday, February 23, 2018 11:36 AM

kgbw49

All of CSX might be too big of a bite as CSX with a market cap of $48 billion would probably take something like $65+  billion plus assumption of debt to acquire even if it could somehow pass STB muster.

How stable do you think the current value is?  The way CSX is going shorting the stock might be a good play. (Warren would know this better than any of us..)

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Posted by kgbw49 on Friday, February 23, 2018 1:11 PM

Berkshire Hathaway’s and BNSF’s 2017 annual results are scheduled to be released on February 24.

It will be interesting to see if BNSF has exceeded UP in volume of loads, revenues and net income - they have been close for a few years now.

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