Charlie Munger, the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, stated in a recent interview that American banks are burdened with poor-quality commercial real estate loans. His comments arrive amid the collapse of three major U.S. banks and the expected seizure of First Republic Bank by the federal government. Despite the potential challenges, Munger emphasized that the current situation is not as severe as the 2008 financial crisis, stating that “it’s not nearly as bad as it was in 2008.”
U.S. Banks Saddled With Poor-Quality Commercial Real Estate Loans, According to Charlie Munger’s Latest Interview
The renowned investor and vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Charlie Munger, spoke to the Financial Times (FT) in an interview published on April 30, 2023, where he discussed potential issues facing the U.S. banking system.
During the previous financial crisis, Berkshire Hathaway provided capital injections to Bank of America and Goldman Sachs. However, the FT interview noted that the conglomerate holding company has not made any comparable moves amid recent events, including the failures of Silicon Valley and Signature Bank last month.
“Berkshire has made some bank investments that worked out very well for us,” Munger stated. “We’ve had some disappointment in banks, too. It’s not that damned easy to run a bank intelligently, there are a lot of temptations to do the wrong thing,” the investor added.
The 99-year-old American businessman discussed some of the challenges facing financial institutions today. Munger specifically highlighted the amount of commercial property currently held by U.S. banks.
According to sources, American banks hold nearly $1.5 trillion in debt, which is due by the end of 2025. The
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Author: Jamie Redman