Financial 'Pearl Harbor' Is Past, Says Buffett

(AP) - Warren Buffett said today the US government is taking the correct actions to help the economy recover. "The government is doing the right things," Buffett said before the opening of Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting. "They're acting in a countercyclical manner." But he said he can't predict how quickly the economy and the markets will improve. More»

(NEWSER) - Not even legendary investors can escape this mess. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway posted its worst year ever in 2008, the Wall Street Journal reports. A key indicator, book value per share, fell 9.6%, only the second loss since Buffett took control of the company in 1965. Berkshire reported fourth-quarter income of $117 million, 96% less than the $2.9 billion it made in the same period in 2007. More»

Oracle of Omaha prepares $40B spending spree

(NEWSER) - As the US teeters on the brink of recession and most investors remain sidelined by the credit crunch, Warren Buffett is poised to spend more than $40 billion to scoop up bargains. Berkshire Hathaway rose 22% over the last 12 months while other stocks sputtered, and now, Bloomberg reports, the company is one of the few with the cash on hand to profit from a bear market. More»

Berkshire shareholders seem to believe him

(AP) - Warren Buffett insists that he's feeling good after his recent prostate cancer diagnosis. Based on the questions he got at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting, shareholders are taking him at his word. Despite the fact that Buffett just disclosed his cancer diagnosis last month, he didn't face the first question about his health until well into this morning's questioning. Many of the questions at the meeting either focused in on technical aspects of Berkshire's many businesses or dealt with general economic or political topics. More»

Oracle gets behind Blankfein at shareholder meeting

(AP) - Warren Buffett has no plans to sell Berkshire Hathaway's stake in Goldman Sachs as the investment bank fights civil fraud charges, saying today that he "loves" his $5 billion investment because it generates 10% interest a year. The Oracle of Omaha spoke today during Berkshire's annual shareholders meeting—but only after he sang and played ukelele with the Quebe Sisters Band. More»