- Warren Buffett and the Crisis: 'Brilliant Moves Interspersed with Some Surprising Errors'
- Warren Buffett to Sell Stakes In Union Pacific & Norfolk Southern
- BNSF CEO: Buffett's Bid for Railroad "Warmly Received" In Washington
- Berkshire Hathaway's NetJets Furloughs 495 Pilots
- Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway May Lose Only Remaining AAA Credit Rating
- Buffett to CNBC: Berkshire Talking to 5 Firms About Buying Tax Credits
- CNBC Transcript: Warren Buffett Explains His Railroad 'All-In Bet' on America
- Warren Buffett to CNBC: Berkshire Businesses Doing 'Just a Tick Better'
- Warren Buffett Tells CNBC Burlington Northern Buy Is 'Bet' On America
- Warren Buffett Sells More Moody's After Stock Rebounds
RSS FEED
MOST SHARED
- Apple Surpasses Nokia as Top Cellphone Maker by Profits
- Herbalife Vs. Hedge Funds
- China Factory Output Leaps to 19-Month Highs
- Cramer Jeers J&J, Applauds Abbott
- America Is On Sale
- Toll Brothers: More Contracts Signed, but Sales Down
- Gold Heading to $1150: Art Hogan
- Three Things the US Can Do To Stop the Dollar's Decline
- Madoff Apartment Price Slashed by $1 Million
- Beware of 'Trampling Effect' When Market Tops: Manager
- Gold Heading to $1150: Art Hogan
- Starbucks Brews Up Growth
- Farr: An Extended Period—No Fat Lady in Sight
- More Upside if S&P Passes This Number: Market Pro
- Murdoch Lashes Out At Google
- Fighting The Flu Vaccine Critics
- Nov. 10: Unusual Volume Leaders
- Shadow Inventory Dwarfs Loan Mods
- US Recovery to be Weak, Erratic: Top Fed Officials
- Retail Earnings in Focus Ahead of Shopping Season
- Apple Surpasses Nokia as Top Handset Maker by Profit
- Brazil's Largest Cities Hit by Blackout
- In This Relay-Race Market, Who Gets Baton Next?
- Workers Staying Put at Their Jobs as Jobless Surges
- Ponzi Proceeds: Bidding on Madoff's Toys
- Toll Brothers: More Contracts Signed, but Sales Down
- Bear Stearn Fund Managers Not Guilty on All Counts
Warren Buffett Watch
Text Size 
The Wall Street Journal's widely followed Heard on the Street column today focuses on Warren Buffett's big PetroChina sales in recent weeks, even as the stock has rallied to new highs.
It neatly recaps the question we've been asking here at WBW: Is Buffett selling because he thinks PetroChina has become overvalued after an enormous run-up or is he selling in response to human-rights activists who see divestment as a way to pressure China over its ties to Sudan, which is accused of supporting mass killings in Darfur?
We just don't know for sure what's motivating Buffett, but generally investors assume he's locking in profits ahead of a potential nosedive and activists assume he's making a statement.
- The Investor View: "There is a lot of euphoria and blue sky in the valuations, with very little worry over downside risk. We've been taking money off the table, and it looks like old Warren's been doing the same." - Devan Kaloo, Aberdeen Asset Managers, London
- The Activist View: "I think he finally gets it." - Eric Cohen, Investors Against Genocide
The Journal leans a bit toward the Activist View when it says that "even some longtime Berkshire watchers suspect the controversy over Darfur, particularly in light of the coming Beijing Olympics, had some impact on Mr. Buffett's decision to sell." It also features a photograph of a billboard that reads, "Will your conscience let you off on a technicality? Berkshire: Sell PetroChina. Save Darfur." The caption: Maybe It Worked.
- Mark Mobius vs Warren Buffett (October 11)
- Warren Buffett's PetroChina Stake Slashed to 3.1% (October 10)
- Buffett's PetroChina Stake Falls Below 7% as Sales Accelerate in September (October 8)
- Berkshire Hathaway's Controversial PetroChina Stake Falls Below 8% (September 28)
- Buffett's Been Selling More PetroChina Than You Might Have Thought (September 20)
- Warren Buffett Trims PetroChina Stake in Third Filing (September 20)
- Is Buffett Making a Statement or Making Money with PetroChina Sale? (September 12)
- Buffett Slightly Reduces Controversial PetroChina Stake (July 27)
Questions? Comments? Email me at
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes