Warren Buffett's influence shows in "freight train index" searches

July 9, 3:36 PMWarren Buffett ExaminerWilliam Freehling

Previous Next

2 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Warren Buffett Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Here's another example of Warren Buffett's influence on people -- his mention of the little-known "freight train index" during an interview today appears to have led many to search for that phrase on Google.

Buffett was asked on ABC's "Good Morning America" today what index he follows most closely. The Berkshire Hathaway CEO responded that he pays closest attention to the freight train index, which shows movement of raw materials around the country and can therefore be used as an indicator of economic activity.

Buffett told GMA that the index has declined 20 percent over the past year, and that worries him. It probably doesn't help Buffett's peace of mind that Berkshire has a multi-billion-dollar investment in leading freight transport company Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.

A great way to judge what people are curious about is to check Google Trends, which lets you see which Internet search phrases are most popular. As of 3 p.m. today East Coast time, "freight train index" ranked as the 80th most popular search term. This search string peaked about noon, and about 8 percent of those search inquiries were coming from New York City. 

My guess is that a bunch of Wall Street types, having seen the interview with Buffett, were trying to bring themselves up to speed on the freight train index during their lunch break.

Check back here often to read the latest news and commentary about Buffett and Berkshire. Past articles are at the top right of this page, and you can click "Subscribe to Email" beside my photo to get an e-mail alert when a new article is posted.