Charlie Munger: 'Every time you hear 'EBITDA' substitute it with 'bull**** earnings''

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  • Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
  • Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger speaking at the 2003 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.
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Комментарии • 475

  • @Martinit0
    @Martinit0 Год назад +42

    If you think EBITDA is BS wait until you see "Adjusted EBITDA". It typically comes very close to Buffett's "Let's just put sales as net profit and all expenses in the footnotes".

  • @BrunoFalconi
    @BrunoFalconi Год назад +404

    Classic Munger! No BS filter. Wish we had more people like this in Finance.

    • @erikanderson1402
      @erikanderson1402 Год назад +4

      The whole field is BS. Read “Bullshit jobs”, great book

    • @Aengrod
      @Aengrod Год назад +3

      @@erikanderson1402 Finance is really about decision making.

    • @erikanderson1402
      @erikanderson1402 Год назад +2

      @@Aengrod name a single applied subject that isn’t about making decisions.

    • @redhidinghood9337
      @redhidinghood9337 Год назад +1

      ​@@erikanderson1402 it's a bullshit book

    • @erikanderson1402
      @erikanderson1402 Год назад

      @@redhidinghood9337 it is a great book actually. And it was way ahead of its time actually.

  • @infin1tecuriosity
    @infin1tecuriosity 2 года назад +950

    This should be titled: ‘How not to ask a question.’

    • @InsidiousGT
      @InsidiousGT 2 года назад +129

      I as thinking this same thing... "and also... and also... and also..." Ask one thing and ask it clearly, everything else will be ignored.

    • @mikebaker2436
      @mikebaker2436 Год назад +21

      ...lol, clearly you are not a fan of symposium Q&A. That's usually what it is. 🤣

    • @Alew8
      @Alew8 Год назад +23

      Interesting because I thought the exact opposite

    • @miyamotomasao3636
      @miyamotomasao3636 Год назад

      I have a huge IQ and I appreciated this very intelligent question.
      Maybe your brain got tired because your IQ is inferior to that of the guy who asked the question ? 😎
      P.S.: neither Buffett nor Munger made fun of the question.

    • @coldplay8
      @coldplay8 Год назад +5

      haha my thoughts exactly. There is no such thing as a dumb question? Well, that was a dumb question!!!

  • @Riggsnic_co
    @Riggsnic_co Год назад +310

    Didn't Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett invent the strategy of buying/investing when the market is low and also buying/investing when the market is high? As Warren Buffet said, he has seen this happen many times in his life. Not an investor. My wife and i never earned more than a middle class salary. We plan to get retired at 58 with a stock portfolio worth $4M. We have never sold so much as one share of stock...

    • @Oly_laura
      @Oly_laura Год назад +5

      It really isn’t about how much you save, it’s about how you manage your money. Whether you work to earn income or invest, it still boils down to income vs expenses, so yeah you may look into financial advisors for a strategy that suits your timing....

    • @martingiavarini
      @martingiavarini Год назад +3

      i've been doing this same thing myself. Can't get into trouble with the IRS when I have no income and all my money is in stocks. I don't like doing the work though. Lol. So I just invest through an advisor who does the stock picking. My money grows, and I'm tax-free...

    • @hermanramos7092
      @hermanramos7092 Год назад +3

      @@martingiavarini Do you mind sharing info on the adviser who assisted you? been saving for pension since age 18 - company scheme. along the way I hit higher tax, so I added to my company pension with a SIPP (tax benefits) I'm 46 now and would love to grow my finance more aggressively, there are a few cars I still wish to drive, a few mega holidays, etc

    • @martingiavarini
      @martingiavarini Год назад +3

      @@hermanramos7092 Have you heard of‘’Catherine Morrison Evans’’ ? She gets featured regularly on CNBC. I myself use tax-deferred accounts to hold my investments. That way I avoid capital gains taxes. There are other options your advisor could brief you about....

    • @hermanramos7092
      @hermanramos7092 Год назад +2

      @@martingiavarini Thank you. I just checked her out now and I've sent an email. I hope she gets back to me soon. I've been thinking of doing this for a long time now, and I've procrastinated enough already.

  • @CarlosHenrique-yz2tg
    @CarlosHenrique-yz2tg 2 года назад +45

    5:39 is when he says

  • @Aaron_R
    @Aaron_R Год назад +31

    Depreciation is usually understated because if you are buying equipment, inflation will make it more expensive next time you buy the same peice of equipment.

    • @benjaminyoung4036
      @benjaminyoung4036 Год назад +4

      Big oof. Never considered that, but you're right.

    • @thegreat9481
      @thegreat9481 3 месяца назад

      Can you go more in depth with that explanation. Understated in a good way or what?

    • @Aaron_R
      @Aaron_R 3 месяца назад +1

      @@thegreat9481 Bad for overall profitability. In general it is more expensive to replace equipment/buildings in the future than today, it was usually cheaper to replace equipment/buildings in the past. Everything except land (and some buildings) has a useful life (which expires).

    • @thegreat9481
      @thegreat9481 3 месяца назад

      @@Aaron_R Ok so we are on the same page you’re saying depreciation is a drag on profitability

    • @BM_100
      @BM_100 3 месяца назад

      In the case of deflation, it makes the existing older assets have a higher depreciation expense relative to the newer (and cheaper) assets

  • @miketurner7305
    @miketurner7305 9 месяцев назад +45

    RIP Charlie - you were a class act and a man of few words. When you spoke, we listened.

  • @garywatson
    @garywatson Год назад +16

    “Somewhere between crazy and crooked.” Great line that sums it up.

  • @harveytr7106
    @harveytr7106 Год назад +170

    This is fascinating. I qualified as a (U.K.) Chartered Accountant in the year that this was recorded. In the intervening two decades I’ve covered the question of EBITDA, I’ve done market-leading work on pensions accounting and US OPEBs and I’ve also been involved in stock option accounting under IFRS2.
    It’s amazing how prescient these two guys were. They were bang on and I’m pleased to see that I’m not the only EBITDA skeptic out there.

    • @Greg-ii6nq
      @Greg-ii6nq Год назад +5

      EBITDA is not a GAAP measurement required by the accounting standards.

    • @Aengrod
      @Aengrod Год назад +4

      Accounting standards are bs

    • @danielcrafter9349
      @danielcrafter9349 Год назад +1

      @@Aengrod - then you very clearly don't understand them

    • @shutout951
      @shutout951 Год назад

      Did you call him prescient on purpose? We call him the oracle of Omaha lmao.

    • @arthagia
      @arthagia Год назад +1

      @Harvey TR Hi, have you published any works or could you point to a public place where I can read about your thoughts on PBIT? I am an accounting student (UK) too and will be very interested to learn more about this.
      Thanks.

  • @mawgateway
    @mawgateway 2 года назад +146

    Asking multiple questions at a time is a pandemic of our current time. It's like the interviewer believes they will never be allowed to ask another question for all eternity, so better take your best shot now. No one in their right mind can remember 10 questions long enough to answer them all. If I was the one taking questions, I would never allow more than one question at a time with a maximum of two follow-ups.

    • @ptbot3294
      @ptbot3294 2 года назад +5

      They are not wrong. You only get one question, which is why they should think long and hard and only ask the best question

    • @bradschaefer9892
      @bradschaefer9892 2 года назад +7

      Agreed. I don’t think interviewer is doing the interviewee or the audience any favors with multiple questions at once.

    • @CharlesTerrenceHarper
      @CharlesTerrenceHarper 2 года назад +1

      I was thinking the same thing. Props to WB in the answer though.

    • @aleksandarnedeljkovic8104
      @aleksandarnedeljkovic8104 Год назад

      They aren't wrong . One chance and you're out

    • @markalexander832
      @markalexander832 Год назад +13

      That was his opportunity to show that he was the smartest guy in the room.

  • @martinXY
    @martinXY 2 года назад +154

    Every time I see these two speaking at a BH AGM it's like a masterclass in economics.

    • @ethanniedorowski116
      @ethanniedorowski116 2 года назад +6

      Ya suprising more people don't listen

    • @stephenw4720
      @stephenw4720 6 месяцев назад

      and it seems that no question can get them puzzled. It looks they were always composed and effortless.

    • @martinXY
      @martinXY 6 месяцев назад

      @@stephenw4720 I think it's because they love what they do, so they immerse themselves in it. Also, old af.

  • @windy6455
    @windy6455 2 года назад +203

    Dude asked like 20 detailed questions at once. How can they keep track to answer all those lol

    • @lotus630
      @lotus630 2 года назад +16

      probably because, to them, these questions are usually linked together so often that it's not hard to remember and discuss all of them

    • @brokenbulbs
      @brokenbulbs 2 года назад +25

      Yeah. So often, people can't even get the basics right. Ask your bloody question succinctly and shut up.

    • @man8god
      @man8god 2 года назад +1

      They may have the questions in advance

    • @sixthmanballer
      @sixthmanballer 2 года назад

      The very question is how they view earnings

    • @gus.smedstad
      @gus.smedstad 2 года назад +5

      Honestly, I heard it as all one question. It’s “how do you think income should be reported? What counts, and what doesn’t?” The long-ish question breaks down lots of examples, and holds out one commonly reported metric, “Income Before Income Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization” (EBITDA), but it’s all about what’s really part of income and what’s not.

  • @lailaalfaddil7389
    @lailaalfaddil7389 Год назад +107

    The most important thing that should be on everyone's mind currently should be to invest in different sources of income that doesn't depend on the government. Especially with the current economic crisis around the word. This is still a good time to invest in various stocks, Gold, silver and digital currencies.

    • @lailaalfaddil7389
      @lailaalfaddil7389 Год назад

      I have been investing in stocks for over 10 years now and I have made a lot of money. My portfolio has grown exponentially and I can't thank stocks & ROCHELLE DUNGCA-SCHREIBER enough for such an amazing way to make money!

    • @susannnico
      @susannnico Год назад

      How can this person, ROCHELLE DUNGCA-SCHREIBER be reached please...

    • @susannnico
      @susannnico Год назад

      Wow! I just looked up this person out of curiosity and I'm super impressed with her qualifications. Thanks for sharing.

  • @codacreator6162
    @codacreator6162 2 года назад +102

    Refreshing to hear someone who not only know exactly what they’re talking about, but calls the shady practices of many businesses out as what they are: film-flam business. Think PG&E and the depreciation savings that decimated the lives of thousands of California families for the sake of high profit.

  • @markrobertdevison1227
    @markrobertdevison1227 Год назад +5

    I've been to Omaha to attend a couple Berkshire shareholder meetings and i watch the the live coverage every since they started streaming it live. I always anticipate Charlies response! His comments are my favorite's.

  • @amane49
    @amane49 Год назад +99

    These two are national treasures !! Love Charlie no BS no filter

    • @lawrencewright2816
      @lawrencewright2816 Год назад

      Yeah, except he pushed the covid vaccine.
      I cannot respect him for that.

    • @Smoove_J
      @Smoove_J Год назад +1

      I retired at 34 with $47m and three houses and 18 grandchildren.

    • @jmc8076
      @jmc8076 Год назад

      They’re only human. There’s some things they don’t talk about and could.

  • @robertleewhitt6241
    @robertleewhitt6241 2 года назад +76

    What Charlie is saying about pension plans is absolutely 100% true > what companies do is they hire an accounting firm ( that also includes executive compensation packages for the same company ) and build themselves a Chinese wall between the PBGC and the company and they use actuarial assumptions that are absolutely false and very misleading . Pension plans should be run basically with fixed income however companies use actuarial assumptions and investments that are in no way design for widows and orphans . The PBGC does nothing to stop these companies especially around the year 2000 to 2006 to stop companies from using actuarial assumptions that are not fiduciary responsible ! I am so glad that Berkshire Hathaway understands this principle when Charlie says companies have understated pension plans that’s extremely intelligent and insightful on Berkshire Hathaway’s part .

    • @swimhornet
      @swimhornet 2 года назад +1

      Really interesting comment

    • @robertlee3805
      @robertlee3805 2 года назад

      @@ILubBLOfficial you are right !!

    • @Unknowledgeable1
      @Unknowledgeable1 Год назад +4

      Damn, I'm 20 right now and I just read your comment. Lots of words that I don't really understand. I've got a lot to learn it's scary...

    • @robertlee3805
      @robertlee3805 Год назад +3

      @@Unknowledgeable1 > make sure that your plan is a
      “defined contribution plan “
      that is in “ your name “
      that is your best protection Lucas !

    • @Unknowledgeable1
      @Unknowledgeable1 Год назад +2

      @@robertlee3805 thanks for the simplification and marking out the key terms for me!

  • @sassysilver4451
    @sassysilver4451 2 года назад +65

    Yes. When I run a financial analysis for a business, I look at (4) metrics: liquidity ratio; leverage ratio; debt to equity; return on equity. That is all I need to know to understand the financial health of a business. This will tell me how much capital the business returns to its shareholders, and its cash flow. Also, I always remove goodwill from its equity and add in any owed tax liabilities to its overall debt.

    • @subdiplomatic
      @subdiplomatic 2 года назад

      liquidity ratio and leverage ratio in respect to what ? Im not finance saavy lol

    • @sassysilver4451
      @sassysilver4451 2 года назад +6

      @@subdiplomatic the companies balance sheet

    • @subdiplomatic
      @subdiplomatic 2 года назад

      @@sassysilver4451 oh thank you

    • @Shepherd1234
      @Shepherd1234 2 года назад +1

      What about acid test?
      Also personally I don’t really like Return on Equity because it uses the income. So for many companies that run like Amazon on cash flow, I can’t get any real data from this metric. So I look a lot at the cash-flow instead. What about you?

    • @sassysilver4451
      @sassysilver4451 2 года назад +2

      @@andrejhoransky9932 Good feedback. The ratios mentioned above, at least to me, and as you mentioned, provide a snapshot of the company's financial health. With that snapshot, I can infer how much leverage a company has and if they have healthy cash flow, and return that cash flow to investors.
      From there, then I would assess the qualitative measure. For instance, its managers, their experience, and its governance. Also, the business itself, how it is positioned in the market, what the reality is that it can increase sales, and its exposure to various market forces etc.
      Also, I assess if the company pays a dividend, and does it grow that dividend consistently, which generally indicates an intelligent use of capital and respect for offering more value to shareholders.
      Also a difference in evaluating a stock for purchase, then if you were buying a physical company. These metrics above are a good way to analyze the financial health of a company for stock purchase, but I would go quite a bit deeper if I were purchasing a company.

  • @DavidRamseyIII
    @DavidRamseyIII 2 года назад +26

    I remember looking at an equipment hire business that added back the cost of their equipment purchases with a straight face. 50 million ebitda with 52 million of depreciation

    • @WideAwakeHuman
      @WideAwakeHuman Год назад +3

      That takes add-backs to a whole other level lol

  • @jeanlefranc3817
    @jeanlefranc3817 Год назад +7

    Quite amazing when some CEOs complain to analysts that their company is undervalued in terms of Price Earnings Ratio when the only word you read in quarterly reports is EBITDA and you know the business is bleeding cash.

  • @zendoc49
    @zendoc49 Год назад +11

    This is the strength of this country, where right in the midst of glitz and hype there is whole lot of sense and you have to do your due diligence to find it. Imagine all those people AKA Madeoff generation who invested with a guaranteed return hence got attracted it where they could have bought BH shares !!

  • @jacksprat1124
    @jacksprat1124 2 года назад +19

    Like most successful comedy teams, the Buffett and Munger act is based on basic truths ignored by most.

  • @rrmackay
    @rrmackay 2 года назад +12

    ESG is the next wave of BS earnings claims, now its all about social score.

    • @sleepless2541
      @sleepless2541 2 года назад

      what does esg have to do with earnings? you're talking about triple bottom line?

    • @rrmackay
      @rrmackay 2 года назад +7

      @@sleepless2541 ESG is the new EBITDA, basically adding virtual value to the bottom line based on social compliance and virtue signaling.

  • @YouAreStillNotablaze
    @YouAreStillNotablaze Год назад +20

    'It's amazing what people with high IQs will do to rationalize their own pockets big.. people's ego getting involved with their own records"
    So many clear cut assessments, more relevant than ever.

  • @surferdude44444
    @surferdude44444 2 года назад +33

    When I sold my business, the buyer offered three time EBIDTA or one year’s gross. Those numbers were identical.

    • @noewell9870
      @noewell9870 2 года назад +1

      You sold your business for one years gross?

    • @surferdude44444
      @surferdude44444 2 года назад +18

      Yes. But I was also a C corp, which made the tax liability minimal. Retired after the sale at age 44.......twenty years ago. Still haven’t touched principal.

    • @noewell9870
      @noewell9870 2 года назад +2

      @@surferdude44444 was it a low growth company?

    • @noewell9870
      @noewell9870 2 года назад

      @@surferdude44444 wanna be my suga daddy

    • @Aaron_R
      @Aaron_R Год назад +2

      @@noewell9870 Most restaurants are worth about 1/3 their sales. A 1 million dollar a year restaurant is worth about 333,000-350,000. Assuming a 10-15 percent profit margin. Worth more if it's multiple restaurants with same branding and near other locations. The ability to transfer managers/employees makes them more valuable.

  • @JBM425
    @JBM425 9 месяцев назад +2

    EBIDTA might as well just be called Gross Income. About the only thing it proves is that product is moving (and even that can be deceptive). It’s the Net that ultimately matters.

  • @georgewbushcenterforintell147
    @georgewbushcenterforintell147 2 года назад +14

    I worked for a non profit they would make us go to staff meetings in a movie theater.than various employees or corporate people would do dances and skits while explaining financial stuff .the one skit that always stuck I'm my head was the EBITDA dance . This was back in the early 2000s and the non profit is still going strong .

  • @salvation1449
    @salvation1449 2 года назад +90

    I could listen to theses men talk all day. What they say is what they mean. " no footnotes"

    • @Foolish188
      @Foolish188 2 года назад +8

      Always read the footnotes first. Amazing what they hide in them. More amazing is how "Analysts" don't look at them.

    • @ninjawhoya2073
      @ninjawhoya2073 Год назад

      Real analysts only read the footnotes

  • @Ken-er9cq
    @Ken-er9cq Год назад +4

    EBITDA=We have a factory etc, it makes things, let’s ignore the fact that we paid money for it, and that eventually it will wear out and it will be worth zero.

    • @Martinit0
      @Martinit0 Год назад +1

      ...also let's ignore that we pay interest on the loan we took out to finance that factory

  • @Green__one
    @Green__one 2 года назад +10

    EBITDA never made any sense to me. Who cares what your earnings are before many of your expenses, the important part is your total net earnings after ALL expenses. Nothing else actually matters. Excluding some random subset of your costs is ridiculous.

    • @paolamura3497
      @paolamura3497 Год назад

      Thanks...you made me understand what EBITDA IS.

    • @JBM425
      @JBM425 9 месяцев назад +1

      EBITDA is a starting point, not a be-all, end-all that shifty CEOs and COOs stress. It can indicate that at least they move product/service, but Net is the bottom line. There’s a lot of waste and “surprises” that can be hidden somewhere between EBITDA and Net.

  • @marye813
    @marye813 Год назад +2

    Some reasons for lousy accounting: Bonuses, Country Club Memberships, chauffeured car and eventually....golden handshake. To get this good stuff you want good earnings so you can keep Wall Street happy. Make sure your audits are being done by someone who likes you. Make sure you have a lot of footnotes in tiny print if you must talk about anything icky like unfunded liabilities.

  • @stephenw4720
    @stephenw4720 6 месяцев назад +1

    @1:02, shows great constrains of not interrupting other people. Respect someone who still checks his own ego.

  • @PhilippeLarcher
    @PhilippeLarcher 2 года назад +10

    I want them on Lex Fridman

  • @mcdouche2
    @mcdouche2 Год назад +3

    Paulie Walnuts taught me about EBITDA.

  • @Ermz
    @Ermz Год назад +3

    Literally took this guy a minute and a half just to ask a question 💀

  • @derekburns8471
    @derekburns8471 2 года назад +49

    Charlie must be the worlds greatest BS detector to have ever lived. You are NOT going to get anything past him

    • @aleksandarnedeljkovic8104
      @aleksandarnedeljkovic8104 Год назад +4

      Oh but you will . No one is infallible.

    • @maalikserebryakov
      @maalikserebryakov Год назад +1

      @@aleksandarnedeljkovic8104
      You seem unusually confident in your ability to make believable bullsht up.

  • @carloscruz7317
    @carloscruz7317 2 года назад +5

    32 years ago i started investing just like them and the strategy works. fuck ebitda and fuck technical analysis.

  • @Longtack55
    @Longtack55 Год назад +3

    Understating future pension and holiday
    liabilities is something I've seen.

  • @jdub7552
    @jdub7552 Год назад +4

    My dad was an old school Deloitte guy....he always said everyone use EBITDA, but what if your interest rate is 55%...Net Profit is what you put in your pocket...

  • @davidg.2217
    @davidg.2217 2 года назад +18

    2 SMARTEST FINANCIAL MINDS IN THE WORLD...👍

  • @khmer31
    @khmer31 Год назад +3

    The question is too long. Cap-Ex is never free so depreciation should never be omitted.

  • @caseroj6020
    @caseroj6020 Год назад +15

    I think I like Charlie Munger more and more of late! 🤣

  • @donaldjmccann
    @donaldjmccann Год назад +3

    My former company GST Telecom became EBITDA positive, earning the CEO a million dollar bonus, the month before they filed for Chapter 11.... EBITDA IS bullshit.

    • @JBM425
      @JBM425 9 месяцев назад

      Spot on! EBITDA only shows that the company is bringing in money (or seems to be); it doesn’t mean the company is profitable or run properly.

  • @kenbash2951
    @kenbash2951 2 года назад +19

    There is only one number that matters- net profit to sales- how many pennies out of every sales dollar is a company putting into its pocket- that's the beginning and and ending a of all business accounting.

    • @Green__one
      @Green__one 2 года назад +4

      Bingo! Any method that excludes any of your expenses is just lying about your profitability. I don't care how much money you bring in, if you have to spend more than that amount to make it you're in trouble, even if that "more" happens to be depreciation, or interest payments, or taxes. What the cost kiss doesn't matter, all that matters is that it exists.

  • @danielbasso586
    @danielbasso586 Год назад +8

    As an Accountant, I agree with Charlie and Warren.

  • @Historyteacheraz
    @Historyteacheraz 9 месяцев назад +7

    By far one of the wisest statements from Charlie. A Teenager’s Guide on how to Invest Like Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger shares his investment wisdom.

  • @MrGlutenFree.
    @MrGlutenFree. 2 года назад +63

    This is funny. I used to work for a fintech in the UK years ago and before I joined I thought the people there were really smart because all you ever heard on the news was "fintech" "fintech" "fintech" then I started working there and realised these people aren't that smart and have very basic financial understanding as they made the vast majority of lending decisions based on EBITDA

    • @user-xl5kd6il6c
      @user-xl5kd6il6c Год назад +2

      Imo, EBITDA is fine, it just isn't a good metric depending on the business.
      I kinda expected the video to be about how Depreciations are bullshit, calculated out of a table of stuff that isn't real. Imo Depreciations has more to do with tax optimization than anything else.
      Sure EBITDA can be shit, if the company is full into big loans too. But like I said, it really depends on the field and type of business

    • @danielcrafter9349
      @danielcrafter9349 Год назад

      @@user-xl5kd6il6c - kind of, and I think you've misunderstood how Depreciation and Amortisation works
      Both MUST be included in your earnings as they cover incidental losses on capital; Depreciation on FA covers maintenance costs "as a median"
      Taxes should ALSO be included, as they WILL have to be paid
      Running off EBITDA is ridiculous as it doesn't mean you're profitable or not

    • @user-xl5kd6il6c
      @user-xl5kd6il6c Год назад +1

      @@danielcrafter9349
      Depreciation is full of magic numbers that most of the time, aren't even close to reality.
      Amortizations, kinda depends on how the company deals with new loans, and if that usually shifts a lot.
      Taxes "WILL" have to be paid, depends highly on the business, renegotiation of taxes and benefits that reduce them are a thing, and aren't always that similar between companies in the same field.
      EBITDA is a tool to compare companies, it doesn't mean that what was excluded doesn't need to be paid. Everyone knows that, it's in the name

    • @christschool
      @christschool Год назад

      @@user-xl5kd6il6c Agree completely. In some industries, EBITDA is absolutely a legitimate metric. In other types of industries, it is not. Buffett and Munger make no distinctions here, which is incorrect in my view.

    • @andrewashkettle
      @andrewashkettle Год назад

      Lending decisions are a bit different from valuation decisions though, right?

  • @coderica7286
    @coderica7286 15 дней назад

    00:08 Charlie Munger argues against using EBITDA as a measure of business performance
    01:27 Goodwill amortization is not an economic expense and is ignored in Berkshire's own calculations
    02:34 Depreciation is a real and important expense in economic analysis
    03:45 EBITDA can mislead investors and cost them money
    04:45 Depreciation is a real cash expense, not a non-cash expense.
    06:00 Accounting troubles are understated, especially regarding pension funds and medical liabilities.
    07:08 Charlie Munger critiques the practice of not recording cash bonuses and expenses in the income account.
    08:01 Charlie Munger criticizes the denial of option expense reality

  • @HumanLiberty
    @HumanLiberty Год назад +2

    All my CEO and CFO talk about is EBITA and employee stock options…
    hmm…

  • @kamerondonaldson5976
    @kamerondonaldson5976 Год назад +1

    add other expense factors such as property damage to the bills that are accounted for by "ebitda" and it seems like they're talking about the difference between gross income and net income.

  • @caucasianafrican1435
    @caucasianafrican1435 Год назад +1

    I can't think of any legitimate justification not to count depreciation as an expense. How else would one match revenue to expenses?

  • @BryantAJoseph
    @BryantAJoseph Год назад +2

    This is mostly applicable to investable businesses. An example where it's more applicable is a DTC drop shipper where they are really just making a cashflow business for themselves. It's a profit farm that won't exist in 1-3 years but that's by design. You wouldn't invest in that business but you may run one for a period of time. Either way, not an investment thesis

  • @2373stevieb
    @2373stevieb 2 года назад +9

    These two remind me of Statler and Waldorf.

  • @Noland55
    @Noland55 Год назад +2

    This is just what I learned at Georgetown Business School in 1968. God knows what they teach now.

  • @minimalisthealth
    @minimalisthealth 2 года назад +108

    Guys, Charlie Munger is speaking. Time to send the kids to their rooms

    • @jean-luclewis7762
      @jean-luclewis7762 2 года назад +2

      ?

    • @striker246810
      @striker246810 2 года назад +4

      @@jean-luclewis7762 He tends to be very blunt and direct with his answers, so much so that the sometimes contain profanity

  • @Porthos240
    @Porthos240 6 месяцев назад +2

    Some people use an opportunity to ask a question to show off everything they know. Go get your own platform.

  • @joefrederick6471
    @joefrederick6471 Год назад +2

    I couldn’t agree with him more. I worked at a place that would always talk about EBITDA and I’d always say what was our net profit per share? Just blank looks. I just left that place before they went bankrupt. I just don’t understand the shell game accounting. Imagine trying that with your own finances. “What did you make last year?” “Well, before I paid interest on my debt or paid any taxes i made this much” 😂. “Oh yeah, I also had some other stuff that took away from my net income but I don’t include that, even though it impacts the bottom line.”

    • @Martinit0
      @Martinit0 Год назад

      "before mortgage payments and car loan payments I made a great bunch of monies"

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 месяцев назад

      EBITDA is fine when used to examine capital efficiency, asset performance or to examine if debt and liabilities are increasing.

  • @marioustxexcel6375
    @marioustxexcel6375 Год назад

    DD&A depreciation, depletion and Amortization is mandatory metric on 10k for oil reserves

  • @ruk2023--
    @ruk2023-- Год назад +1

    Did anybody else lose track of the question before the person asking finished it? Jesus that was painful.

  • @thomasrebotier1741
    @thomasrebotier1741 Год назад +2

    Someone needs to lift these silhouettes, dub it, and reuse as muppet show/mystery science theater commenters. These two are just better than fiction!

  • @vultureheat
    @vultureheat Год назад +4

    The questions asked in these things are horrible, but these guys are good to answer in full and let these yahoos ask their self-aggrandizing question

  • @ranz2355
    @ranz2355 2 года назад +2

    Just ask the execs from Waste Management if you should deflate your depreciation.

  • @rmiddlehouse
    @rmiddlehouse 2 года назад +3

    ROIC is their metric

  • @nurbsenvi
    @nurbsenvi Год назад +9

    Anytime when someone asks a long question, it’s most likely that they don’t know what they are asking.

  • @davidk7212
    @davidk7212 Год назад +1

    Hello sir I have a 12 part question

  • @frankiehoosier9165
    @frankiehoosier9165 Год назад +1

    It REALLY helps to play this video at 1.5X Speed.
    You're welcome !!!!

  • @YourFrienjamin
    @YourFrienjamin Месяц назад

    Finances is the toughest language I've ever not learned

  • @knurlgnar24
    @knurlgnar24 Год назад +5

    Accountants are like lawyers. There are plenty of good honest accountants but enough of the other type to give the whole profession a bad name.

  • @Showmetheevidence-
    @Showmetheevidence- 2 года назад +29

    Why do these people always feel the need to make their question a thesis?
    He just asked about their opinion on ebidta… one sentence.

    • @YEC999
      @YEC999 2 года назад

      Completely super annoying...

    • @philipk4475
      @philipk4475 2 года назад +1

      Because it provides context for those in the audience

    • @YEC999
      @YEC999 2 года назад +1

      @@philipk4475 No the correct answer is: narcissm....

  • @spj2000
    @spj2000 2 года назад +3

    Someone show this to Homelander

  • @richteffekt
    @richteffekt Год назад +6

    EBITDA as a standalone figure is of course very limiting and tells little to nothing except maybe for scale for the exact reasons both are touching upon. I have to agree (even as an accountant and even a financial officer) it's emotional work to put e.g. depreciation in the open where it hurts and you're doing many a people a great favour when you don't. I think that's a big part of why this whole spectrum of rose tinted to outright delusional readings of (in and of themselves complete) balance sheets happens even among people who should be diligent and know better.

  • @TM10000
    @TM10000 Год назад +1

    I love how these guys cut away the fluff and shiny objects to get to the real numbers which usually involve cash flow and long term thinking.

  • @JB-kx9bx
    @JB-kx9bx Год назад +2

    I worked at a company that cared alot about EBITDA, they are no longer in business.

  • @gorillatrader2339
    @gorillatrader2339 2 года назад +12

    Although these guys are well educated, they apply common sense analysis.

    • @user-ty2uz4gb7v
      @user-ty2uz4gb7v 2 года назад +1

      Why should the two be so different

    • @gorillatrader2339
      @gorillatrader2339 2 года назад +4

      @@user-ty2uz4gb7v I agree, they shouldn't, in fact most people lack common sense. My point is that you don't have to go to Yale or Harvard or even have a college degree to apply their way of thinking. Peter Lynch use to go the the mall with his kids and see which stores were the busiest, he determine that they were going to be the most profitable. Go figure.

    • @maalikserebryakov
      @maalikserebryakov Год назад

      @@gorillatrader2339
      Wouldn’t Peter be able to get the same information over a broader time period from reading that business’ reports?

    • @maalikserebryakov
      @maalikserebryakov Год назад

      @@gorillatrader2339God I love lynch

  • @josephpercente8377
    @josephpercente8377 2 года назад +4

    How to cook books and pass it off as legit? Ebita!

  • @b.morris2816
    @b.morris2816 Год назад +3

    They should let Charlie talk more!! Love that guy!!

    • @jimmason8502
      @jimmason8502 Год назад +3

      Nah, he only needs to say a one-liner every now and then and it carries a ton of weight.

    • @filippodaragona.4749
      @filippodaragona.4749 Год назад

      Yes but he didn't answer the question. What are the alternative kpi and ratio to evaluate a company?

  • @mofojohnson1
    @mofojohnson1 2 года назад +17

    Wouldn't that make you miss out on companies like Amazon and Google in the past

    • @StanislavKozlovsk
      @StanislavKozlovsk 2 года назад +17

      Good question - I guess so. I also guess that depreciation doesn’t really exist for software.
      It’s weird what kind of conpanies Amazon and google turned out to be. Their core business was heavily influenced by network effects and not actual finances I think. Seems like a different type of investment

    • @tomyao7884
      @tomyao7884 2 года назад +12

      I think amazon and google don't have very much fixed asset to begin with, and so depreciation is a very insignificant part of earnings. Even for software companies though, I think depreciation should still be counted, since their servers and stuff will break down over time and require replacement.
      The point of these high growth companies isn't really whether you count depreciation as an expense (which I think you should) - it is the future growth potential of revenues and profits with very little incremental capital investment.

    • @billykhoabillykhoa7844
      @billykhoabillykhoa7844 2 года назад +28

      You would also missed out all the companies with bogus accounting that subsequently languished or even blew up. So, pick your poison.

    • @mofojohnson1
      @mofojohnson1 2 года назад +1

      @@billykhoabillykhoa7844 I'll stick with EV/EBITDA over P/E as a valuation metric everyday of the week

    • @lorenzmuller3542
      @lorenzmuller3542 2 года назад

      Yes.

  • @iAPX432
    @iAPX432 Год назад +1

    Post-retirement liabilities is also incredibly interesting, fiscally!

  • @user-ty2uz4gb7v
    @user-ty2uz4gb7v 9 месяцев назад

    Why cant we just have earnings where E= after interest, taxes, amortization, and depreciation?

  • @danielcrafter9349
    @danielcrafter9349 Год назад +3

    How anyone could include Goodwill in accounts is beyond belief

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 месяцев назад +1

      Goodwill is the most complex thing in business to analyse. If you have an eye for it then you will be very successful.

    • @JBM425
      @JBM425 9 месяцев назад

      “Goodwill” does matter when a long-established company has a reputation, but even then it’s difficult to quantify. Goodwill is almost meaningless in marginally successful or failing businesses.

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 месяцев назад

      @@JBM425
      It can be valued if you know how to do it but you are not going to be able to do it in every business sector.

  • @robertstorey7476
    @robertstorey7476 2 года назад +19

    EBITDA is usually just used as a proxy for operating cash flow generation. Its an easy tool for investors to forecast future cash flows the business will be generating from its operations. Capital expenses are another separate issue and will most likely be considerably more than the annual depreciation figure. Goodwill impairments are not irrelevant and are based on cash flow projections. They throw a light on issues arising from acquisitions that will affect future cash flows available for dividends also.

    • @poulwinther
      @poulwinther 2 года назад +1

      @Shill of [insert_personal_Boogeyman] Why then is the title: "Every time you hear EBITDA..."?

    • @nnjjee1
      @nnjjee1 Год назад +7

      Your 2nd sentence is wishful thinking. “future cash flows”? 😂😂. Ok so capex and debt service do NOT affect cash flows? If your point is “future” then also wrong. What if they have capex and more debt in a subsequent year? You seem to understand acctg but clearly do not understand that many investors don’t understand these realities which is what WB is suggesting here

    • @vanquish6225
      @vanquish6225 Год назад +1

      @@nnjjee1 Capex does affect cash flows but not opex, which is why it is used as a proxy for operating cash flow. Interest is irrelevant for this conversation because EBIT excludes it as well, which WB does like to use.

  • @ncooty
    @ncooty Год назад +2

    There's value in this criticism of accounting practices, but the irony is that both men use accounting as a fig leaf on moral flim-flam. They excuse the fact that much of what they've financed is morally objectionable because "the numbers made sense" and people think they're great because they're rich.
    They're opposed to EBITDA, but they're champions and beneficiaries of EBE: earnings before externalities (or perhaps: earnings before ethics).

    • @PalladinPoker
      @PalladinPoker Год назад +1

      People like these two not just because they are successful but also because they have avoided the especially shady stuff and openly share opinions other investors don't.
      Saying "the numbers made sense" is simple honesty, they don't pretend to have been tricked or claim to have been 'too deep into the company vision and wanted to join the family' or some other BS.

  • @tenzinpassang4812
    @tenzinpassang4812 2 года назад +3

    ESG: allow me to reintroduce myself. lol

  • @dmonarredmonarre3076
    @dmonarredmonarre3076 Год назад +1

    I cant unhear Paulie describing EBITDA.

  • @Longtack55
    @Longtack55 2 года назад +4

    I trawl through company presentations and sometimes see NPAT in the summary. If I have to search for it then I conclude they're being evasive. Such tedium to wade through.

  • @rwnorris1327
    @rwnorris1327 2 года назад

    What about micro bottom up investing ergo Oaktree?

  • @sharonh2991
    @sharonh2991 7 месяцев назад

    I’ve always thought of EBITDA as just gross income.

  • @getinthespace7715
    @getinthespace7715 Год назад +9

    Pension liability is INSANE.
    All organizations should sunset pensions for new employees and pay to an equivalent employee match on a 401k or other retirement account.
    Limits the long term liability and provides the responsibility/freedom to the employee to manage their own retirement investment.

    • @slshusker
      @slshusker Год назад

      Cool idea unless you're an employee. Late 80's phased out defined pension plans.

  • @GSD-
    @GSD- Год назад

    75 second question… geezz

  • @LarryManiccia
    @LarryManiccia Год назад +41

    These two guys are both brilliant and funny as hell. The modern day Laurel and Hardy. I would love to do a one year internship (unpaid) to be able to work side by side these guys. The knowledge gained would be worth the lack of one years pay.

    • @m0ltipleX2000
      @m0ltipleX2000 Год назад +8

      The first thing you would learn is to not work for free :)

    • @sharpieman2035
      @sharpieman2035 Год назад

      Last time I checked people were willing to pay thousands just to have a lunch with Warren so think you’d have to do a lot better than just work for free…

    • @pupperfaust8547
      @pupperfaust8547 Год назад +8

      @@m0ltipleX2000 Free is relative. You pay to go to university but I bet an internship under Warren and Charlie would teach you far more practical knowledge than any uni course could hope to offer

    • @m0ltipleX2000
      @m0ltipleX2000 Год назад +1

      @@pupperfaust8547 Well.. I did not pay anything for my masters degree. But im from Norway, where we also learn to not assume things about people :)

    • @Freiclips
      @Freiclips Год назад

      @@pupperfaust8547 facts

  • @J.P.Correa
    @J.P.Correa Год назад +1

    I'm surprised by how they assume people value businesses on an Ebitda or a US GAAP accounting base.
    The reasons we use EBITDA or US GAAP accounting are definitely not to price these companies. EBITDA is used to try to compare businesses in different geographies and with different capital structures. Therefore anything that would depend on any of these two, are left aside. This doesn't imply these are not expenses, it just makes it easier for you to then see how it would be paired against businesses that are under different tax regulations, depreciation schedules, or capital structures.
    And US GAAP is regulated to a degree with a tax accounting and general 'one rule applies to all' mindset. Which doesn't mean they don't provide information, it just mean that information is a poor proxy of company value or future cash generation.
    In the end I'd think anyone with half a neurone would realise you need to properly evaluate the business and get an accurate idea of how much it's worth on a basis of how much cash it should generate in the future.

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 месяцев назад +1

      EBITDA is useless for comparing companies. It is only useful when you are considering a companies capital performance or asset performance.

    • @JBM425
      @JBM425 9 месяцев назад

      GAAP has its place, though. If companies can pull a “fast one” even under GAAP, it’s like the Wild Wild West when they don’t follow GAAP.

  • @theopinionatedbystander
    @theopinionatedbystander 7 месяцев назад

    Ok, I’m stupid. But how can anyone doubt that depreciation is an expense. Of course there are rare exceptions, but in the real world the value of an asset goes down with age, and then the cost to replace, proves it’s an expense.

  • @นฤมลจงสวัสดิ์-ฑ4ภ

    Support product free rate in borrow six?

  • @frankus54
    @frankus54 Год назад +1

    In another 50 years people will still be watching this. Where there is a big pile of cash, there will be "experts" creating new forms of wealth vacuum cleaners and inventing complex mnemonics to make them sound authentic.

  • @VDP207
    @VDP207 27 дней назад

    My ex-wife said most of my tangibles are arbitrary too. I depreciate that...😅

  • @TheGwt3
    @TheGwt3 7 месяцев назад

    Bonus depreciation isn’t reflective of real economics

  • @idanthyrsus6887
    @idanthyrsus6887 2 года назад +1

    They're like the two old Muppets in the theater bit.

  • @patrickf2671
    @patrickf2671 Год назад

    Fantastic..I love these lads..

  • @Momowowo8
    @Momowowo8 Год назад +1

    well now we even have adjusted EBITDA lol

  • @khanjones9390
    @khanjones9390 2 года назад +3

    pretty confused what to do about all these reporting failures