• Discounts and special offers
  • Subscriber-only articles and interviews
  • Breaking news and trending topics

Already a subscriber?

By signing up, you accept Moneywise's Terms of Use, Subscription Agreement, and Privacy Policy.

Not interested ?

Buffett loves banks

Buffett is deeply familiar with banking and financial services. He believes the business is relatively straightforward and can be extremely lucrative if managed well.

“If you can just stay away from following the fads, and really making a lot of bad loans, banking has been a remarkably good business in this country,” he told Berkshire Hathaway investors in 2003.

What about the 2008 Global Financial Crisis? Buffett went on a shopping spree during that time, picking up stakes in JP Morgan (JPM) and Goldman Sachs (GS).

For several years, major banks have been the biggest holdings in the Berkshire portfolio. In 2009, he even said Wells Fargo (WFC) was his highest-conviction investment.

“If I had to put all my net worth in one stock, that would’ve been the stock,” he told Berkshire shareholders.

Invest in real estate without the headache of being a landlord

Imagine owning a portfolio of thousands of well-managed single family rentals or a collection of cutting-edge industrial warehouses. You can now gain access to a $1B portfolio of income-producing real estate assets designed to deliver long-term growth from the comforts of your couch.

The best part? You don’t have to be a millionaire and can start investing in minutes.

Learn More

Catching Buffett on the rebound

This year, Buffett has completely exited all these investments. Only a few banks remain in the portfolio.

That doesn’t mean the love affair with financial services is over.

In fact, Buffett added a new bank to his collection this year: Citigroup. During the first quarter of 2022, he added 55 million shares of Citigroup to the Berkshire portfolio.

The stake is now worth $2.5 billion, making it the 16th largest holding in the basket.

The bet seems to be predicated on a turnaround story.

Citigroup’s transformation

Citigroup has lagged behind its peers. Over the past five years, the stock is down over 28%.

Compare that to Bank of America’s 37% return over the same period. Even the SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE) is up 1.9%.

The company is now attempting a turnaround to catch up. Last year, Citigroup’s board appointed Jane Fraser as the new CEO — making her the first female leader of a major U.S. bank.

Fraser's strategy involves focusing on the more profitable segments of the business. Citigroup is selling or shutting down operations in Mexico, Australia, Philippines, South Korea and elsewhere.

Citi stock hasn’t fully reflected this new strategy.

Retire richer: The secret to building wealth faster

Most people miss out on key opportunities to grow their wealth. Partnering with the right financial advisor can help you secure a brighter future. Learn how to make your money work harder for you today.

Discover the secret

An undervalued opportunity?

Citigroup stock currently trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.6. Its price-to-book ratio is 0.52. That’s significantly lower than the industry average of 9.45 and 1.12 respectively.

Put simply, the stock is cheap.

If the new management team can streamline operations and boost profitability, the bank’s valuation could catch up with peers.

Meanwhile, a rising interest rate environment should provide another tailwind.

The richest 1% use an advisor. Do you?

Wealthy people know that having money is not the same as being good with money. Advisor.com can help you shape your financial future and connect with expert guidance . A trusted advisor helps you make smart choices about investments, retirement savings, and tax planning.

Try it now
Vishesh Raisinghani Freelance Writer

Vishesh Raisinghani is a freelance contributor at MoneyWise. He has been writing about financial markets and economics since 2014 - having covered family offices, private equity, real estate, cryptocurrencies, and tech stocks over that period. His work has appeared in Seeking Alpha, Motley Fool Canada, Motley Fool UK, Mergers & Acquisitions, National Post, Financial Post, and Yahoo Canada.

Disclaimer

The content provided on Moneywise is information to help users become financially literate. It is neither tax nor legal advice, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, either express or implied, with respect to the data provided, the timeliness thereof, the results to be obtained by the use thereof or any other matter. Advertisers are not responsible for the content of this site, including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any advertiser product, please visit their website.

†Terms and Conditions apply.