Berkshire’s Alleghany Deal Looks Like A Masterstroke From The Oracle

Warren Buffett has finally found a deal that meets has strict acquisition criteria. Earlier this week, Berkshire Hathaway announced that it has agreed to acquire the insurance group Alleghany Corporation for $848.02 per share or $11.6 billion. This is a relatively small acquisition by Berkshire’s standards. Indeed, it is less than 10% of the $140 billion-plus cash pile the group reported at the end of 2021. However, it is the first significant private transaction the Oracle of Omaha has agreed on in the past couple of years. The last significant deal that did not involve buying common stock was the…