Wesco on Google Finance: A Look at Berkshire Hathaway’s Acquisition

Wesco, originally known as Western Supply Company, was a publicly traded company with a significant portion owned by Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s longtime business partner and Vice Chairman at Berkshire Hathaway. Due to Berkshire Hathaway’s complete acquisition of Wesco in 2011, it is no longer a standalone entity traded on the stock market and therefore not directly listed on Google Finance. While you won’t find a current ticker symbol for “Wesco” on Google Finance, understanding its history and its eventual absorption into Berkshire Hathaway is valuable for investors and business enthusiasts.

Before its acquisition, Wesco operated a diverse portfolio of businesses. These included:

• See’s Candies: A beloved West Coast confectionery known for its high-quality chocolates and candies. See’s was a significant and consistently profitable part of Wesco’s holdings, and it remains a key brand under Berkshire Hathaway today.
• CORT Business Services: A leading provider of furniture rental, relocation, and event services.
• Precision Steel: A steel service center providing a variety of steel products and services.
• Other Investments: Wesco also held various other investments, reflecting Munger’s value-oriented investment approach.

The absence of Wesco on Google Finance today signifies its integration into the much larger Berkshire Hathaway empire. When investors search for information related to Wesco, they are essentially seeking insights into the performance of those former Wesco businesses now operating under the Berkshire Hathaway umbrella. To track the financial performance of these businesses indirectly, investors would now need to analyze Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRK.A and BRK.B) financial statements and shareholder letters.

The reasons behind Berkshire Hathaway’s acquisition of Wesco are complex but ultimately boil down to simplifying the corporate structure and allowing Munger to focus his efforts even more intensely on Berkshire Hathaway itself. By bringing Wesco fully under the Berkshire umbrella, Buffett and Munger streamlined operations and eliminated any potential conflicts of interest. The move consolidated the valuable assets, particularly See’s Candies, directly within Berkshire’s ownership structure.

While you can’t track Wesco’s individual stock performance on Google Finance, the acquisition highlights the importance of understanding mergers and acquisitions in the investment world. It demonstrates how companies can be absorbed into larger entities, changing the landscape of publicly traded stocks. For those interested in Wesco’s legacy, focusing on Berkshire Hathaway’s performance and analyzing the specific business segments that formerly comprised Wesco’s holdings provides the closest approximation to tracking its success today.

Therefore, while a direct search for “Wesco Google Finance” will be unsuccessful, researching Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A or BRK.B) and its various subsidiaries is the key to understanding the current state of the businesses once held by Wesco and the lasting impact of Charlie Munger’s investment acumen.