UPDATE 1-Buffett says his businesses bottomed

Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:14am GMT
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* Buffett says U.S. dollar could depreciate more

* Buffett says consumer demand will eventually come back

NEW YORK, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Billionaire Warren Buffett said that while his businesses have bottomed after the worst financial crisis in decades, he saw few upticks and ruled out a buoyant holiday season.

Consumer demand will recover and it is likely that the economy would come back in two years rather than in one, Buffett said during an interview with Charlie Rose.

"Our businesses, they've bottomed ... (there are) very few upticks," said Buffett, the world's second richest man, in response to Rose's question about whether the "economic panic" is over.

Last month, preliminary government data showed the U.S. economy expanded in the third quarter, the first three-month period of growth since the second quarter of 2008.

Nonetheless, the U.S. unemployment rate last month reached 10.2 percent, the first double-digit reading in 26 years.

Buffett last week made a big bet on the U.S. economy when his Berkshire Hathaway Inc agreed to pay about $26.4 billion for the 77 percent of railroad company Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp that it did not already own.

Buffett, perhaps the world's most admired investor, estimated the U.S. dollar will depreciate as the U.S. government prints more dollars.  Continued...

 
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