Berkshire Hathaway has surpassed $1 Trillion stock valuation, on Wed 28th August 2024, the investment company of Warren Buffett broke the $1 Trillion mark.

https://www.berkshirehathaway.com

Berkshire Hathaway has now joined six other companies, mainly from the technology sector, above $1trn: Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Google’s parent Alphabet, Amazon.com & Facebook’s parent Meta

https://www.nyse.com/quote/XNYS:BRK.A

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/28/buffetts-berkshire-hathaway-hits-1-trillion-market-value-first-us-company-outside-of-tech-to-do-so.html

Courtesy of The London Stock Exchange

ASHOKA INDIA EQUITY INVESTMENT TRUST PLC AIE Stock | London Stock Exchange

Courtesy of The Royal Society

ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC RR. Stock | London Stock Exchange

Courtesy of The London Stock Exchange

Courtesy of The London Stock Exchange

Courtesy of The Royal Society

The Vanguard Global Small-Cap Index Fund is an index fund from Vanguard.

www.vanguardinvestor.co.uk

https://www.vanguardinvestor.co.uk/investments/vanguard-global-small-cap-index-fund-gbp-acc/overview

Key facts:-

Number of assets: 4,265 holdings

Courtesy of Vanguard

Courtesy of Vanguard

Courtesy of Vanguard

The David Rubenstein Show: Jerome Powell (youtube.com)

Another month, guess what, take a lucky guess, it is the same old story, HM Government, spends more money than it receives via taxes and duties. Now we are in a post Covid 19 world. UK’s HM Government needs to fund many new demands. https://www.dmo.gov.uk

https://dmo.gov.uk/data/pdfdatareport?reportCode=D2.1PROF7

Another deficit month, thus to bridge the gap, needs to borrow on the bond market in July 2024, the HM Government had to borrow money to meet the difference between tax revenues and public sector expenditure. The term for this is the PSNCR: The Public Sector Net Cash Requirement. There were “only” 7 auctions of Gilts (UK Government Bonds) by the UK Debt Management Office to raise cash for HM Treasury:-

30-Jul-2024 4¼% Treasury Gilt 2034 £4,254.8850 Million
24-Jul-2024 4 3/8% Treasury Gilt 2054 £2,575.2490 Million
23-Jul-2024 0 1/8% Index-linked Treasury Gilt 2039 3 months £1,239.3250 Million
17-Jul-2024 4 1/8% Treasury Gilt 2029 £4,000.0000 Million
16-Jul-2024 4¾% Treasury Gilt 2043 £2,812.4990 Million
11-Jul-2024 4% Treasury Gilt 2031 £3,750.0000 Million
02-Jul-2024 3¾% Treasury Gilt 2027 £4,110.0000 Million

£4,254.8850 Million + £2,575.2490 Million + £1,239.3250 Million + £4,000.0000 Million + £2,812.4990 Million + £3,750.0000 Million + £4,110.0000 Million = £22,741.958 Million

£22,741.958 Million = £22.741958 Billion

On another way of looking at it, is in the 31 days in July 2024, HM Government borrowed:- £733.61154838709677419354838709677 Million each day for the 31 days.

We are fortunate, while the global banking and financial markets still has the confidence in HM Government to buy the Gilts (Lend money to the UK), the budget deficit keeps rising. What is also alarming, is the dates these bonds maturing from 2027 to 2054. All long-term borrowings, we are mortgaging our futures, but at least “We Are In It Together……“

The SL abrdn MyFolio Market V Pension Fund is a £618.6m investment fund, that is a fund of funds.

The fund invests at least 60% in passively managed funds, including those managed by abrdn, to obtain broad exposure to a range of diversified investments. Typically at least 80% is invested in assets traditionally viewed as being higher risk such as company shares, emerging market bonds (loans to an emerging market government) and commercial property. The rest of the fund is invested in a selection of other assets
such as money market instruments including cash, government bonds (loans to a government) and investment grade corporate bonds (loans to a company).

The Standard Life Sustainable Multi Asset (PP) Pension Fund is a large investment fund for pension savings.

https://library.standardlife.com/CCHD.pdf

It is a fund of funds, the current fund size is £7.6 billion

Yesterday, Friday 2nd August, Vodafone PLC paid out its August 2024 dividend.

https://www.vodafone.com

3.78989p a share.

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/VOD/total-voting-rights/16546271

The total number of voting rights in Vodafone is 26,720,016,290,

Thus:-

26,720,016,290 x £0.0378989 = £1,012,659,225.373081

That is £1.012 Billion paid to shareholders in Vodafone

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/stock/VOD/vodafone-group-plc/company-page

Today, the FTSE100 water utilities giant, United Utilities pays out its August 2024 dividend.

https://www.unitedutilities.com

33.19p

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/UU./result-of-agm/16577641

total number of voting rights in the company stood at 681,888,418 and the total ordinary shares in issue were 681,888,418.

Thus:-

681,888,418 x £0.3319 = £226,318,765.9342

That is £226 million paid to shareholders.

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/stock/UU./united-utilities-group-plc/company-page