WARREN BUFFETT: 'This is my kind of transaction'
That's what the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway said after he and private equity firm 3G Capital announced that they would be merging its H.J. Heinz business and with publicly-traded Kraft Foods to form the third largest food and beverage company in North America.
In many ways, Kraft Foods is the epitome of companies that Warren Buffett is looking to invest in. It's big, it's demonstrated consistent earning power, it's not a turnaround situation, management is in place, and perhaps most importantly, it's a simple business.
Even in his 2014 annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, which was released late February, Buffett offered clues pointing to a big US a company.
"The mother lode of opportunities runs through America," he said. "Berkshire now owns 9 1/2 companies that would be listed on the Fortune 500 were they independent (Heinz is the 1/2). That leaves 490 1/2 fish in the sea. Our lines are out."