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Biglari trying to buy Fremont (Again)


ExpectedValue

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Gentlemen,

 

I will be accepting congratulations, toasts, high fives, kudos, champagne, and boxed chocolates.   ;D

 

It has been an honor to make anyone who listened to me gobs of money.       ;D

 

If any of the Houston crew want to meet up for drinks, I am up for it. Let's have a party.

 

 

haha. A great investor and modest too!  ;)

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At 1.25 times book, he would be paying up for the company and it's probably not worth it unless he can guarantee himself significant investment returns.  He doesn't know what contracts they have been writing in the last year and if the premiums are adequate.  There would be little margin of safety at 1.25 times book.  Cheers!

 

I think 1.1 isnt leaving alot of room for error in this environment. I think it will be interesting to watch, and think he may go a shade higher. Management will say book value now is higher. Either way I agree, there isnt much margin and it will be interesting to see him watch. The think about SNS is he got it for cheap so there was room for error.

 

Also the more cash allocated to stocks the less yield they will have. Returns will then be extremely lumpy because Biglari seems to prefer take over vs. buy and wait.

 

haha. A great investor and modest too!  ;)

 

Lol congrats Harry, I am sure today has been profitable.

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When does the board expect to respond?

 

If they accept I will be warming up to BH - still would like to buy at a cheaper price but if he can pull this off he could be really on to something.

 

Insurance = float (can be a vicious weapon in the right hands)

Money management - great business

SNS - cash flow machine

 

I can still invest in a company even if I don't like the CEO - mabye...

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Guest HarryLong

Of course, to settle the Tim/Bronco debate, we really have to ask if book value really matters if a company uses the legislature to block itself from being taken over.

 

 

This is a rare case in which Tim and Bronco are both right. Without a negotiated transaction/settlement/compromise/lawsuit/legal win, the book value can't be unlocked. With a solution, the book value matters.

 

You discount the risk of the unlock accordingly. It's dirt simple. Anything that's true usually is.

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  • 3 weeks later...

"I can still invest in a company even if I don't like the CEO - mabye..."

 

I don think it is a matter of liking the CEO. Is it wise to buy, if you don t trust him?

 

What did WEB say, that he looks for integrity + energy/ability with integrity being the most important because if the CEO don t have integrity , then his energy/ability will kill you.

 

SB is very able. Will he make money with you or off you that is the question.

 

What do others think?

 

 

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Truth be told I have been trading this in my wife's 401k and taken profits.

 

Bh is set up to make good cash flow... Question for me comes down to price.  To me, liking a CEO is less important than making money.  And I don't like biglari, but respect the cash flow.

 

 

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Alek,

 

To beat a dead horse...

 

Is $29 cash worth less than $27.77 book value? 

 

If book value equates to liquidation value, I would rather have $29 cash than $27.77, but its been a while since I had my last arithmetic  class.

 

But than again, these prized, Michigan, shareholder friendly insurance companies should always trade at a premium to book - worth a significant deal more than ex-Michigan insurance companies.  Just ask them.

 

 

 

 

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If book value equates to liquidation value, I would rather have $29 cash than $27.77,[/i]

 

Me too my friend, me too. I hold a small position and would be happy to sell for $29, but I'm sure management would ask more if it's willing to sell, which doesn't seem to be the case or at least they don't seem to be in any hurry :

 

"With regard to recent SEC filings by certain shareholders, we issued a news release on Oct. 14, 2010 indicating that the Board of Directors had asked its previously appointed Special Committee to review the matter and make an appropriate recommendation to the Board on what it believes to be in the best interests of all shareholders and the Company.  The Special Committee is undertaking a careful examination of the issues in fulfillment of its fiduciary duties and will make a recommendation when it is feasible to do so.  In the meantime, we will continue to operate Fremont in a way that enhances shareholder value."

 

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Alek - Good response.  Of course, I am poking fun at the BOD at Fremont. 

 

I wrote about Jerry Yang on SA right after he shot down Microsoft.

 

This, to me, feels very similar, and I think it sucks.

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What's slower?

 

a)  a board member on Fremont's BOD

b)  a tortoise

c)  a Vancouver Canuck defensemen

 

This is a trick question.  While they are all super slow...and this is subjective, I am leaning towards (a).

 

Any thoughts?

 

BTW - the Flyers are the best team in hockey right now for those that care.  Broad street is back.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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