Kudos to Buffett.  Industralists could really stand to learn from Buffett.  At least he seems to be truthful and honest.  Which is more than we can say about all the other croonies of capitalism.

2008 has hurt every investor. Mr. Buffett is a smart investor and his investments in 2008 will tell the story later. He gets some sweet deals like with GE where he earns a special divident rate while waiting for markets to turn around.

There are many many books and articles on Mr. Buffett's investment strategies. However, when he announces his investment strategy in tough times, he is laughed at and punished....I am sure he gets the last laugh...

Happy new year!!!

Truthful and honest? Give me a break. This is a man who tells everyone to buy American stocks when his portfolios are tanking. For someone who supposedly is greedy when everyone is fearful, you'd think he'd shut up and buy until everyone else figures out to follow the leader. And don't think that he just wants everyone to benefit with him. That is not his past actions. He is also known a few years back to tell everyone that 8% is the expected return in the market long term. You think he got rich on 8%? I don't think so. His advice is and has always been to accept mediocre returns while he outperforms everyone else. There is always a winner and a loser whether the Market goes up or down. He keeps trying to be the winner of that equation. I don't fault him for that. I fault him for trying to make people believe he is some kind of Economic Angel.

Buffett made money when the market was going up and he was fairly good at it.  We shall see how good he is, however, under the less than favorable conditions that the market will hold for the next several years......i.e., after the first half of 09.

Not so good, if '08 is an early indicator, I predict. The Oracle will face a real test in the coming year. His $5B investment in GS back in Sept. with options at $115 is already way underwater - although he does have some fair dividend rights. Something tells me he won't be exercising the options, however. GS traded as low as $52 in November but is back up to $86 today.

 They got a 100% ROI = to $1B in a matter of months in the Constellation Energy battle between 13+ co's. and this will increase nuclear energy sites in the USA from 4 to 5 planned to much more by EDF and other strategic alliances.  Very many major energy co's. are involved in constructing sites...

 They made many M&A deals...  cop pays great DRIPs, also.  He dislikes heavy capital expenditures, and thinks in 10 yr. terms with simple math.

Involved in Wrigley's, Mars, Seas candies, food, distributions...  Things he understands.  This article written above is baloney.  If it was so bad he would not have stayed open for 2008, and 2009...  He has stopped business investments before.  He is a security analysts, and doesn't like the GM capital mgt. ways.  He predicted issues 15 + to 18+ yrs. ago.

 I can not speak for him; but he would probably state that the reason Morris Brown College at ATL. U. can not pay the water bill of hundreds of thousands of $'s is because their students, alumni, and grads.do not pay back their loans at all often times.  It is simple math, pay back the loans a little at a time.  You can't default on student loans; they will tax you heavily, and everyone else, too.

Some of those Bldgs. on campus have probably been paid in full many times over through R & D; and paying faculty low benefits in the 60's and early 70's.  Dr.'s died and the U. did very little for the families left behind.  A. U. is a problem financially in ATL.; and the casinos are eyeing them now close to downtown A !  

Warren Buffet has demonstrated his abilities for many years now, finding and pursuing value over hype.  Yes, its true that you can get lucky and beat Berkshire for a quarter (maybe), but for long-term strategies (ie, retirement), my money's on VALUE over derivatives, timing, charting, or any other "scientific" methodologies.

This is a list of Warren Buffet's portfolio picks.  Check out how he could've done much better in 2008 by reading this

www.reversesignals.com/USstocks.jsf

Come on people, just admit it, he knows what he's doing!!!! Look at his past performances over the long haul. His stock didn't lose as much as the S & P, Nasdaq or Dow. Everyone is going to lose in this environment, but watch out for him in the near future!!!!!

He is under water with GE and GS.  If you look at his whole portfolio it is considered a bunch of dogs.  He made his money years ago.  Let us see how he does in the tough times that are upon us.

Is there a story here or did I simply miss something?  It is title "Berkshire Hathaway's Terrible Year", yet it points out BRK beat the S&P by 6 percentage points.  If you only lost 32% last year, for most investors that would be far from terrible.