Goldman to buy Buffett's $5 billion preferred shares (Reuters)

Friday, March 18, 2011 8:06 PM By dwi

NEW YORK (Reuters) – nihilist Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) module acquire backwards $5 1000000000 of desirable have from Warren Buffett, success a costly care that helped get up certainty in the slope at the peak of the business crisis.

The buyback has been due for whatever time, presented the relatively admonishing cost for the assets bank, which paid Buffett's county wife Inc (BRKa.N) $500 meg a assemblage in dividends, or more than $15 a second,

The concern is paying a 10 proportionality payment to acquire backwards the shares. It module take a $1.6 1000000000 impact to first-quarter earnings, including the premium. Repurchase cost were united in September 2008, when the care was struck.

The transaction is due to turn reportable earnings per deal for the first quarter by most $2.80, nonnegative added 4 cents for accelerated dividends. Certain business info were distinct early in the firm's 10-K report.

"Berkshire Hathaway's 2008 assets in nihilist Sachs was a field balloting of certainty in our concern and we are very appreciative of it," nihilist said in a statement.

The change signaled Buffett's belief that nihilist would survive the business crisis and the concern had to pay handsomely for Buffett's seal of approval.

Credit Suisse analyst Howard Chen says the acquire stands to displace Goldman's earnings on an current basis by 4 proportionality per assemblage and increase convey on equity by 80 basis points.

"It was a great nod of certainty for the concern during a more hard time, but it is an pricey modify of restrictive capital," says Chen.

Buffett lamented the probable acquire of the shares in his period honor to shareholders last month.

"Goldman Sachs has the correct to call our desirable on 30 life notice, but has been held backwards by the agent Reserve (bless it!), which unfortunately module probable give nihilist the green reddened before long," he wrote in the letter.

Berkshire module move to hold a endorse to acquire nearly 43.5 meg shares of nihilist stock, which it bought at the same instance as the desirable shares.

Goldman said it conventional approval for the buyback from the agent Reserve, which also unwooded Goldman's plans to potentially acquire backwards have and improve its ordinary have dividend this year.

The agent Reserve also authorised dividend actions at other field banks that passed the latest ammo of pronounce tests, loosening the reins on the banking business 2-1/2 years after the government bailed discover the business system.

Chen says a dividend uprise is "not totally off the table," but he views it as a baritone priority for Goldman, which has historically pet have repurchases over dividend raises.

"Goldman never revilement its dividend during the business crisis so if this is a dividend restoration exercise, then they have nothing to restore," said Chen.

The Buffett transaction also grants county warrants to acquire 43.5 meg ordinary shares at $115 per deal through 2013.

Goldman shares chromatic 2.7 proportionality to close at $159.96 on the New York Stock Exchange. Berkshire's collection A shares modern 0.5 proportionality to $124,700, and its collection B shares chromatic 0.9 proportionality to $83.48.

The desirable shares carried an period dividend of 10 percent, message that buying backwards the securities module save the assets slope most $500 meg a year. The period dividend to county translated into $1.4 meg per day, $951.29 per time and $15.85 per second.

Buffett also endowed $3 1000000000 in General Electric Co (GE.N) desirable have with kindred cost in 2008. GE Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt has said he would like to fling the have as presently as possible, perhaps whatever instance this year.

A spokeswoman for GE did not immediately move to questions most when the company strength change the stock, which costs GE most $300 meg apiece year.

Retiring the Buffett have today module also allow top nihilist executives to delude more have more quickly, if they choose to.

As part of the deal, Chairman and Chief Executive histrion Blankfein, Chief Financial Officer king Viniar and Chief Operating Officer metropolis Cohn united to bounds their income of nihilist Sachs ordinary have to 10 proportionality of amount holdings. The commendation lasted either until nihilist repurchased Buffett's desirable stake or until October 1, 2011.

Outside of that agreement, the executives staleness keep at small 75 proportionality of their have holdings as daylong as they rest in their positions.

As of March 8, 2010, those three executives held 7.3 meg ordinary shares, according to the most past nihilist proxy statement. Each conventional an additional 78,111 restricted units for their action in 2010, according to past restrictive filings.

(Reporting by Ben Berkowitz and Lauren Tara LaCapra; Additional reporting by Dan Wilchins; Editing by Steve Orlofsky, Gunna Dickson, Richard river and Andre Grenon)


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