CNN/Money  
CNNMoney.com
graphic
Personal Finance > Investing
graphic
Buffett on stocks, junk, 'time bombs'
The billionaire investor says he's nervous about derivatives and not very excited about stocks.
March 3, 2003: 7:08 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - When Warren Buffett's letter to shareholders comes out each year, investors around the world sit up and listen.

After all, the "Oracle of Omaha" has been writing letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders for 38 years and over that time, he's become the world's second-richest man and one of its most widely followed investors.

 
Click on the picture for more on Buffett's letter

In this year's letter, to be found exclusively at Fortune.com, Buffett says he's nervous about derivatives -- he calls them "time bombs" -- and says he hasn't invested much money in stocks over the past year. He also talks about where his Omaha, Neb.-based holding company is putting its money now.

Specifically, Buffett discusses the difficulties of leaving the derivatives business after his 1998 purchase of General Re, the insurer. And he says the explosion in derivatives contracts may have created serious risks for the nation's financial system.

For more on Buffett's letter, click on these links to Fortune.com:

  • Avoiding a 'mega-catastrophe' - Buffett says derivatives like rate swaps and futures and options -- tools used by many professional investors -- are latent dangers that could become lethal.
  • Buffett on stocks today - "Unfortunately, the hangover from [the market bubble] may prove to be proportional to the binge."
  • Berkshire Hathaway and junk - Buffett's holding company has been making what he calls "sensible investments" in a few junk bonds and loans.
 Top of page




  More on INVESTING
Danger ahead? Investors turn wary
Finding good advice
Investor confidence continues to slide
  TODAY'S TOP STORIES
Best time of year to land a job
Stocks rally on jobs report
6 banks fail, tally reaches 130




graphic graphic
© 2009 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2009 BigCharts.com Inc. All rights reserved. Please see our Terms of Use.
MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc.
Intraday data provided by Interactive Data Real-Time Services and subject to the Terms of Use.
Intraday data is at least 20-minutes delayed. All times are ET.
Historical, current end-of-day data, and splits data provided by Interactive Data Pricing and Reference Data.
Fundamental data provided by Morningstar, Inc..
SEC Filings data provided by Edgar Online Inc..
Earnings data provided by FactSet CallStreet, LLC.