Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS)

Goldman Sachs is going pretty steady right now. I think I bought it at the right time

The buzz is that Goldman Sachs is in bed with Greece. I guess Greece hit the Sack!

goldman is going to plummit! you'd better sell now

This company was making money, but now its going down. I would like to know why?

1000

wow I should have sold it yesterday!!!

Ajax thinks if Goldman Sachs Group Inc were a historic sports franchise, it would be New York Yankees.

It's amazing how the financial crisis is starting to affect people you know... and your stocks. A friend who works for NBC told me recently that people there were getting pink slips. And, she noted, it happened last year at this same time. Not a great way to go into the holidays, is it? But get this: it took a couple days before I read this news in the newspapers! Talk about using your friends to stay ahead of the curve. That's a perfect example of how - just by talking to others and connecting online - you can get real info to help you make real decisions. This is exactly the type of news we want to discuss at www.weseed.com. Later that evening during dinner, my husband told me about two other friends who just got laid off - one from J.P. Morgan. That company is one of the bright lights in the financial industry, and it's interesting that it, too, is shedding folks - even though it's been buying up companies such as Washington Mutual. Morgan's stock has held pretty well over the last year at about $33 vs a one-year high of $50, while others like Goldman Sachs (GS) at $70 and Bank of America (BAC) at $15 are just a fraction of their one-year highs. Sure, one firing does not mean more are coming, but it's still enough to perk up your ears. Next time you hear about a friend getting fired at a public company, first thing to do is be sure to give him or her all the help you can. Bring your friend a homemade dinner. Losing a job can be devastating. And maybe you can turn a negative into a positive: check to see what the stock is doing. Companies commit massive layoffs to try to remain profitable. Scour the news to look for any major announcements about other cost-cutting measures. Maybe you'll see a pattern of your own that could net you a few dollars. It may not be much, but any extra money is a godsend - especially if your job might be next...

by Carlos Portocarrero, WeSeed Writer So it looks like Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) finally found a place to put all that cash he has laying around: He's planning to buy around $5 billion worth of Goldman Sachs (GS) preferred shares. His shares will pay out a 10% dividend, which is pretty sweet (just do the math and you'll see why). He'll also have the right to buy $5 billion more shares at $115 for the next five years. Buffett might end up getting a bargain: less than a year ago the stock was at $247 and it's now at $126. Not a bad-looking deal, right? This is a vintage Buffett move: take a blue-chip company with exceptional talent and buy it on the cheap, like he's done in the past with Kraft (KFT) and Burlington Northern (BNI). With everyone so afraid of financial companies, Buffett is following his mantra of being "fearful when everyone else is greedy and greedy when everyone else is fearful." Goldman Sachs's stock is already up today on the news of Buffett's big purchase, and a lot of experts out there are saying that it could mean that the financial sector as a whole is turning the corner. But is it? Impossible to tell for sure, but when one of the most conservative, even-keeled investors starts to actually talk with his money and not just his mouth, it's a pretty positive sign. But don't listen to me, I'm a Berkshire Shareholder, but if you do your own research you'll probably come over to the dark side. Does this mean you should buy Berkshire shares? Or Goldman shares? Or any other financial stock? Not so fast cowboy, that would be irresponsible and reactionary. But when a guy like Buffett makes such a big move at such a hectic time, you should definitely take a closer look at the players involved and why he made the deal. Once you figure that out, you'll not only understand what each company is doing - you'll also have a better idea of what's going on in the financial sector in general. [full disclosure: I own a share of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B)]