Barron's Picks And Pans: Berkshire Hathaway, Disney, SoftBank And More

• This weekend's Barron's cover story examines how the economy will be changed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Other featured articles wonder at the silence from Warren Buffett and discuss where to find safe dividends.
• Also, the prospects for a Japanese conglomerate, an entertainment giant, a social media leader and more.

Cover story "Bracing for an Economy Changed by Coronavirus" by Reshma Kapadia points out that picturing what the world will be like after the coronavirus pandemic has been contained is difficult. Does Nike Inc NKE offer any clue?

Eric J. Savitz's "How SoftBank Lost Its Vision" shows why SoftBank's massive Vision Fund could soon take another $2 billion in write downs. See how the bold experiment went wrong. Is Uber Technologies Inc UBER to blame?

In "This Market Is Made For Warren Buffett. Why Has He Gone Quiet?," Andrew Bary suggests that Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A), sitting on a pile of cash, will emerge from the crisis even stronger. Is the stock worth a wager?

While regulated business often is a negative factor, for utilities it essentially means that government regulators will allow a reasonable return on their investments. So says "For Dividend Safety, Think About Regulated Utilities" by Lawrence C. Strauss. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. CNP and others worth a look.

In Jack Hough's "Bob Iger on Disney After Coronavirus," see why the former chief executive officer believes Walt Disney Co DIS will take this opportunity to look for ways to run its businesses more efficiently when things return to normal.

See Also: What To Know About The Stock Market's Best Week Since 1974

"Will I Ever Need My Disney World Crowd Strategies Again?" by Jack Hough shows what the future may hold not only for theme parks but for everything from Comcast Corporation CMCSA to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd RCL.

With dividends under pressure as the coronavirus crisis forces suspensions and cuts, where should income investors be looking? See Lawrence C. Strauss's " Stock Dividends Are Under Pressure. Where to Find Yield." to see if Verizon Communications Inc. VZ makes the cut.

In "Facebook Is Poised to Surge Higher as the Pandemic Eases," Steven M. Sears discusses why only a fool would discount the leading role of Facebook, Inc. FB during the pandemic and what that likely augurs for its financial future.

Photo credit: Emily Elconin