Why This Legendary Value Manager Likes Alphabet and Citigroup Stock
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 29 2024
0mins
Source: barron's
- Bill Nygren's Investment Approach: Nygren, a value investor, focuses on finding bargains and considers intangible assets in stock valuation.
- Shift in Portfolio Holdings: While previously holding growth stocks like Amazon and Adobe, Nygren now focuses on traditional value stocks with lower P/E ratios.
- Performance and Record: The Oakmark Fund managed by Nygren has outperformed peers based on various timeframes, with a 15-year annual return of about 15%.
- Market Perspective: Nygren believes that new market highs are not necessarily cautionary signals and advocates for holding portfolios during such times.
- Current Holdings and Strategy: Nygren's fund includes companies like Citigroup, APA, and General Motors, which are undergoing transformations and returning capital to shareholders.
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Analyst Views on GOOGL
Wall Street analysts forecast GOOGL stock price to rise
33 Analyst Rating
26 Buy
7 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 357.770
Low
305.00
Averages
374.25
High
400.00
Current: 357.770
Low
305.00
Averages
374.25
High
400.00
About GOOGL
Alphabet Inc. is a holding company. The Company's segments include Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets. The Google Services segment includes products and services such as ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. The Google Cloud segment includes infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers. Its Other Bets segment is engaged in the sale of healthcare-related services and Internet services. Its Google Cloud provides enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace. Google Cloud Platform provides access to solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) offerings, including its AI infrastructure, Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud; cybersecurity, and data and analytics. Google Workspace includes cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Massive Investment: In the first quarter, Abel significantly increased Berkshire's stake in Alphabet's Class A shares by purchasing 36,403,656 shares and opened a new position in Class C shares with 3,585,215 shares, demonstrating strong confidence in the tech sector.
- Strategic Capital Commitment: Abel committed to participating in Alphabet's $84 billion stock offering, including $5 billion in Class A and $5 billion in Class C shares, which is expected to elevate Alphabet to Berkshire's fourth-largest holding with a market value exceeding $30 billion.
- AI Sector Positioning: With a 63% year-over-year revenue increase in Alphabet's cloud infrastructure services, Abel recognizes its sustainable competitive advantages in advertising and AI applications, potentially establishing a new long-term core holding for Berkshire Hathaway.
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- Massive Investment: In the first quarter, Abel tripled Berkshire's stake in Alphabet's Class A shares to 36,403,656 and opened a new position in Class C shares with 3,585,215 shares, reflecting a strong confidence in tech stocks that is expected to enhance the company's investment portfolio.
- AI Infrastructure Expansion: Alphabet plans to raise $84.75 billion through stock sales to fund its AI infrastructure expansion, with Berkshire committing to a $10 billion investment, which will elevate Alphabet to the fourth-largest holding in Berkshire's portfolio, valued at over $30 billion.
- Cloud Services Growth: Alphabet's cloud infrastructure revenue surged 63% year-over-year in the March quarter, showcasing its strong performance in AI applications, and Abel's investment strategy indicates a significant focus on the tech sector, potentially leading to long-term revenue growth for Berkshire.
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- Global Leadership: Starmer stated that this ban will position the UK as the first country in the world to comprehensively prohibit social media services for minors, aiming to create a safer environment for children to grow up in.
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- Scope of Platforms: The ban could include major platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, potentially leading to a decline in user base for these services in the UK.
- Child Protection Measures: Starmer emphasized that the policy aims to create a safer online environment for children, helping them regain their childhood, reflecting the government's focus on youth mental health, which may inspire similar actions in other countries.
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- International Support: Leaders from the U.K., France, Germany, and Italy issued a joint statement welcoming the agreement, viewing it as an opportunity to restore regional stability and global economic health, and expressing readiness to lift sanctions contingent on Iran's verifiable actions.
- Trade War Concerns: Despite the positive impact of the peace deal, Trump warned of a potential new trade war with France, demanding the repeal of a digital tax on U.S. tech companies or facing 100% tariffs on French wines, highlighting the complexities of international trade relations.
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- Tariff Threat: President Trump has warned that France must eliminate its 3% tech 'sales tax' or face a 100% tariff on U.S. imports of French wines and champagnes, a threat issued ahead of this week's G7 summit, indicating U.S. dissatisfaction with France's tax policies.
- Tax Background: The digital services tax, approved by French lawmakers in 2019, imposes a 3% levy on gross revenues generated in France by large tech companies, primarily targeting U.S. giants like Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet, reflecting France's assertion of tax sovereignty in the digital economy.
- Economic Impact: French wine exports to the U.S. amount to about $2 billion annually, representing one-fifth of the French wine industry's total global sales, and Trump's tariff threat could significantly harm the French economy, especially amid the current global economic recovery.
- International Relations Strain: Trump's remarks not only escalate trade tensions between the U.S. and France but may also affect the atmosphere at the G7 summit, potentially influencing the direction of international trade policies, particularly in the realm of digital economy cooperation.
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