INSTANT VIEW: Buffett to invest $3 billion in GE shares

NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Electric Co said on Wednesday that it would sell $3 billion of preferred shares to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, with another $12 billion in common shares going to the public.

The news erased an earlier fall in GE shares. The following are market comments on the move:

COMMENTS:

PAT BECKER, JR., CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER AT BECKER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT:

"This is a win-win situation for Warren and GE. We own GE shares and we like the company's diversified business model. Long term, we feel this is a great place to put your capital.

"And since we don't know how long this credit crisis will last, if you have the ability to raise capital you better do it today than six months down the road."

TOM SOWANICK, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER AT CLEARBROOK FINANCIAL

"He is the only major financial institution that has ready cash to buy cheap assets. You could actually call Buffett a mid-western vulture fund who is eating off the debris of the financial chaos."

JOE SALUZZI, CO-MANAGER OF TRADING AT THEMIS TRADING IN CHATHAM, NEW JERSEY: