BYD

A slight slip in the price of oil allowed Japanese investors to focus attention on positive employment figures out of the U.S., boosting the Nikkei 225 Index by 0.9%. In Hong Kong the Hang Seng also Index added 0.3%, while the Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.4%.

Asian investors brushed aside worries over continuously rising Chinese inflation today, focusing instead on bargain shopping. Energy companies were a major attraction as oil prices surged. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 1.1% and China's Shanghai Composite Index advanced 0.9%. In Japan the Nikkei 225 Index edged up 0.6%.

Among Wednesday's top online stories for investors: Why did Warren Buffett invest in BYD? How does the market usually fare on a blizzard day? And what I learned from working with Jim Cramer.

In Asia Thursday Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 1.3% and China's Shanghai Composite shed 0.5%, as copper slid for a third day and banks retreated on reports that China has clamped down on loans. In Japan the Nikkei 225 Index inched up 0.1%.

In Asia Tuesday China's Shanghai Composite Index slid 0.3% to 3,042 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dipped 0.1% to 23,601. In Japan the Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.3% to end the day at 9,377.

Profit tumbled 99% at BYD, a Chinese auto company that makes electric cars. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway holds a 10% stake in the company.

One Chinese company that stands to benefit from China's boom is tiny and little known COGO Group, which provides some of the nuts-and-bolts components and expertise that local manufacturers need to produce top-quality products.

A hot topic on Wall Street last week was who would potentially replace the Oracle of Omaha at Berkshire Hathaway when he leaves. The latest candidate? Li Lu, a relatively unknown fund manager whose portfolio has averaged a 24% annual return.

Shares in Asia closed higher Friday as confidence that the Chinese government will continue to prop up its economy with massive economic stimulus measures returned. The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 1.9 percent to close at 3,108, the Hang Seng rose 1.7 percent to end the day at 22,590, and the...