In 1988, he got attracted to International Dairy Queen and bought 50 shares of its class A stock mainly because he thought it was a company that Buffett would favor, given its good products, easy-to-understand operations, high returns on equity, little debt, and a reasonable price-earnings ratio.
Some commentators also have suggested that part of the reason for the British media's hesitation is the fact that, in the wake of a series of good news stories including Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, the royals' stock is higher now than it has been in decades.