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Steak'n Shake Serves Up New Directions


Parsad

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Maybe everyone thinks SB is Buffett now. 

 

Story is just beginning, not ending.  The free cash flow numbers were fantastic at SNS.

 

I give SB credit, but not too much credit.  He can't be deemed a great allocator of capital like Buffett...yet.

 

I think the publicity, excitement over 4Q results, reverse split (very Buffett like o/s # of shares), etc...cause the rise in stock.

 

 

I am more curious to see how this 10% investment in the insurance co. (MI) plays out.  Is it just going to be a 10% interest?  If you follow Buffett - he bought a ton of little insurance companies in the 1970's (and after he bought National Indemnity).

 

Will SNS use FLOAT? 

 

Will it be like Berkshire, with a combination of investments AND wholly owned subsidiaries?  Or just a food chain that makes investments?

 

 

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Maybe everyone thinks SB is Buffett now.  

 

Story is just beginning, not ending.  The free cash flow numbers were fantastic at SNS.

 

I give SB credit, but not too much credit.  He can't be deemed a great allocator of capital like Buffett...yet.

 

I think the publicity, excitement over 4Q results, reverse split (very Buffett like o/s # of shares), etc...cause the rise in stock.

 

Probably some of that involved.  While the company isn't dirt cheap, it isn't expensive either.

 

 

I am more curious to see how this 10% investment in the insurance co. (MI) plays out.  Is it just going to be a 10% interest?  If you follow Buffett - he bought a ton of little insurance companies in the 1970's (and after he bought National Indemnity).

 

Will SNS use FLOAT?  

 

I think his intention is over time to be involved directly in the insurance business, so he will use float at some time.  Whether Fremont is a potential target or some other insurer, I don't know, but he will probably be in insurance when the time is right.

 

 

Will it be like Berkshire, with a combination of investments AND wholly owned subsidiaries?  Or just a food chain that makes investments?

 

I think he's already gone that way already...take a look at WEST (restaurants, real estate, investment management, passive investments)...and that is soon going to be a subsidiary of SNS, as well as all the businesses within it.  

 

People here should remember that the Berkshire textile mill wasn't the bread and butter for Berkshire Hathaway...that would be Blue Chip Stamps...with which Buffett acquired so many other core businesses in the early days.  Steak'n Shake is the engine and the holding company, but Biglari will use that currency to buy many other businesses.  Cheers!

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Parsad...I tend to agree.  Overall, I am buying my popcorn and watching the movie unfold.  While it is impossible to guess the end, it is fun to speculate a little bit.  Probably my last comment on this thread... Happy holidays to all.

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I think today's price is fair with a good operator at the helm of the restaurants.  I don't think Biglari's capital allocation skills are really creating a premium for the stock price.  I could see many other restaurant's trading at similar prices.  Although I wonder what the current composition of shareholders is compared to a couple years ago.  Then again, I don't think Fairfax gets a fair valuation considering the quality of its capital allocators either.

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