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Feb.17

9:24 PM ET

Tuesday, 17 Feb 2009

Jim Cramer Warns Investors: Don't Follow Warren Buffett This Time

Posted By:Alex Crippen

Topics:Personal Finance | Stock Market | Investment Strategy | Warren Buffett

Companies:Johnson and Johnson | Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

CNBC Mad Money host Jim Cramer
CNBC Mad Money host Jim Cramer doesn't like what he sees in Warren Buffett's latest stock moves for Berkshire Hathaway, and doesn't think ordinary investors should follow the Omaha billionaire's lead this time around.

UPDATE: Cramer writes in greater detail on BloggingStocks.com about how he's "struggling" with Buffett's recent stock moves, which amount to "selling America."

Buffett's holding company released its fourth quarter portfolio snapshot earlier tonight (Tuesday). It revealed a big reduction in Berkshire's holdings of Johnson & Johnson [JNJ Loading... () ].

Here's Cramer's reaction after Rebecca Jarvis reported tonight on the Berkshire filing during a CNBC Special Report:

JIM: Rebecca, I've got to tell you. I listen and I know that he's a great man. And there's no doubt about it. He's a great man. And I know people love to see what he's doing. But I have to tell you, when I listen to what he sold, and what he bought, he's continuing to make a gigantic bet. And the bet is that everything is alive and well and good. And ever since he wrote that New York Times piece, which I don't want to talk --

REBECCA: Four months ago to the day --

JIM: Yeah, and what, about 25 percent ago? Look, no one is ever going to say the man has lost his touch. I don't have that kind of arrogance in the show. I will tell you that people who are now going to sit there and buy in the after-market tomorrow morning the things that he bought, and sell the things that he sold, are not people that are going to profit, perhaps, within the time frame that they care about. The time frame that Buffett cares about --

REBECCA: He said that he'll hold onto it forever, Jim, if he could. That's --

JIM: That forever thing is so bad. I was at Chase the other day and they wanted to know when I wanted to pay my mortgage, and I was going to give them some forever rap. America ain't used to the forever game. America is about trying to put food on the table and pay the mortgage and we just don't have the luxury of being wrong. And that's what I think Warren's doing. He's got the luxury of being wrong. The rest of us do not.

Current Berkshire stock prices:

Class A: [US;BRK.A Loading... () ]