Berkshire Hathaway

WARREN BUFFETT, THE LEGENDARY "Oracle of Omaha," issued his eagerly anticipated letter to shareholders last week. In addition to his usual homespun charm, Buffett was unusually apologetic for generating a 10.4% increase in Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.B) book value last year, slightly less than the 10.9% dividend-inclusive gain of the benchmark S&P 500. From my vantage point, Buffett is being overly modest.