Buffett auction starts


June 4, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Buffett auction starts

omaha, neb.

It’s true that Warren Buffett hired the hedge-fund manager who won the last two private lunches with him that are part of an annual auction, but he doesn’t expect the event to become a recruiting tool for Berkshire Hathaway.

Buffett said he just hopes the 13th annual online auction will again raise a significant amount of money for the Glide Foundation, which provides social services to the poor and homeless in San Francisco.

Bidding began Sunday on eBay and continues into Friday. Most big bids tend to arrive late in the auction.

Clinton: US needs Europe at ‘full speed’

stockholm

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham says the United States needs Europe “to be strong and operating at full speed once again” in order for America to completely recover from its own economic downturn.

She says the U.S. supports the need for changes among the 17 countries that share the euro as their currency, in order to make Europe more competitive and deal with issues various countries haven’t addressed.

Clinton said at a news conference in Stockholm that the tough decisions are up to the Europeans themselves.

Belt-tightening has been the approach for coping with a debt crisis that has raised the possibility of the breakup of the single currency.

Vindicator wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .66, 23.16 .06

Avalon Holdings,3.49.02

Clear Channel, .73 64.70 —.27

Cortland Bancorp, 9.75.00

Farmers Nat., .126.32 .25

First Energy, 2.20, 46.51—.28

FirstMerit Corp., .64,15.12 —.78

First Niles Financial, .32,8.74.00

First Place Fin., .30—.04

FNB Corp., .48,10.21—.41

General Motors,22.01—.19

General Electric, .68,18.54—.55

Motors Liquidation, .0422.00

Huntington Bank, .16, 6.11—.43

JP Morgan Chase, 1.20,31.93—1.22

Key Corp, .12,7.14—.36

LaFarge, 9.02 —.25

Macy’s, .80, 36.85—1.20

Parker Hannifin, 1.64, 77.87—3.87

PNC, 1.60,58.07—3.35

RTI Intl. Metals,21.03.04

Simon Prop. Grp.,4.00,143.51—4.01

Stoneridge 6.69 —.36

United Community Fin. 2.05—.04

Selected prices at 4 p.m. Friday. Provided by Stifel Nicolaus. Not to be construed as an offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security.