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Massmart

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Massmart Holdings Limited (Massmart) is a South-African based global investment holding company. The Group is invested in a broad portfolio of wholesale and retail formats and rely mainly on high volumes and low cost distribution of branded consumer goods on a cash-basis. In 2011, Walmart Stores Inc. acquired Massmart for $2.4 billion ending months of uncertainty about the status of the deal. Walmart is known for bringing about lower prices and as such, economists feel that this merger will be good for competition and giving South African consumers additional choices along with competitive low prices. For South Africa as an economy, this sends a positive signal to the rest of the world in augmenting South Africa’s image as an investment destination for foreign companies. Massmart operates in 12 different countries in sub-Saharan Africa and are organised under 4 primary business segments. These are: Massdiscounters (general merchandise discounter), Masswarehouse (Warehouse club), Massbuild (Home improvement retailer and building materials supplier) and Masscash (which consists of wholesale food and cosmetics businesses as well as retail food outlets).
Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and his Vice-Chairman, Charlie Munger, outlined four criteria for a great company of which I will base my analysis of the Massmart Group on. These criteria are now popularly known as Buffet and Munger’s “Four filters” invention. They are: 1) Understandable products/services; 2) Durable competitive advantage; 3) Management with integrity; 4) Margin of Safety. They believe that if a company is aligned with these four filters, then that company would be a worthwhile investment.
Throughout my analysis I have looked at both the published 2011 Annual financial statements which represents the Massmart Group before the acquisition as well as the Reviewed

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