Don Dion's Weekly ETF Blog Wrap

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Don Dion posts his current insights on the stock, bond, commodity and currency markets in his RealMoney blog, anticipating which ETFs will be in play next. This week, among his blogs featured below, he wrote about Buffett's fabulous return from his investment in BYD, the promising rollout of a new retail REIT and a new China ETF.

Buffett Bags Another Billion With BYD

Posted at 8/3/2009 7:17 a.m. EDT

Warren Buffett has struck gold once again. Less than a year after the deal was finalized, Berkshire Hathaway(BRK.A Quote) earned $1 billion in profit with its investment in BYD, according to reports.

BYD is the seventh-largest car company in China, as well as the country's largest producer of rechargeable batteries. In December, the automaker released the F3 DM sedan, the first mass-produced electric car and currently the fourth bestselling automobile in the country.

Besides revolutionizing the car industry, BYD is the power unit supplier for a number of mobile phone companies, including Nokia(NOK Quote), Motorola(MOT Quote), Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.

The deal between BYD and Berkshire Hathaway's MidAmerican Energy Holdings unit was announced last September. Berkshire agreed to buy 225 million shares of BYD for HK$8 each. The total investment came to about $223 million. This investment gave Buffett a stake of almost 10% in the company. BYD's stock has since quintupled, leaving Buffett and Berkshire with a nice $1 billion payout.