Buffett says U.S. Treasury bubble one for the ages
Feb. 28, 2009, NEW YORK (Reuters) — Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway Inc. sits on $25.54 billion (17.8 billion pounds) of cash, said worried investors are making a costly mistake by buying up U.S. Treasuries that yield almost nothing.
In his widely read annual letter to Berkshire shareholders, the man many consider the world’s most revered investor said investors are engulfed by a “paralyzing fear” stemming from the credit crisis and falling housing and stock prices. Treasury prices have benefited as investors flocked to the perceived safety of the “triple-A” rated debt.
But Buffett said that with the U.S. Federal Reserve and Treasury Department going “all in” to jump-start an economy shrinking at the fastest pace since 1982, “once-unthinkable dosages” of stimulus will likely spur an “onslaught” of inflation, an enemy of fixed-income investors.
“The investment world has gone from underpricing risk to overpricing it,” Buffett wrote. “Cash is earning close to nothing and will surely find its purchasing power eroded over time.”
“When the financial history of this decade is written, it will surely speak of the Internet bubble of the late 1990s and the housing bubble of the early 2000s,” he went on. “But the U.S. Treasury bond bubble of late 2008 may be regarded as almost equally extraordinary.”
I cover this topic in depth in my February issue of REAL WEALTH REPORT, to read more and to find out how to profit from the bursting bond market bubble, click here.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Larry:
If paper currency is devalued as you believe, what will happen to the short term treasuries that Martin is recommending?
Thx
Mike
Larry Edelson Reply:
March 4th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Short-term Treasury bills are fine, ultra-safe. It’s notes and bonds of a maturity greater than 1 year that I would stay away from.
Larry, In reading your Real Wealth Report (Feb) tonight where you warn against the safety of long-term government bonds, I assume you are including tax-free munis in the mix? My mother of 88 years is heavily invested in them. Thanks for your insight and wisdom. Barbara Hosmer
Larry Edelson Reply:
March 6th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Yes, most definitely. All long term bonds.