Warren Buffet continues to show investors why his name is consistently at the top of the list of richest Americans. The man makes deals that simply work, no matter what happens in the industry or economy surrounding him.

Take this week’s news as a prime example. Buffet wanted to diversify into the nuclear-power industry, so he offered to buy Constellation Energy Group (NYSE:CEG) for $4.7 billion. It was a pretty low bid and drew plenty of criticism from shareholders.

But most importantly, it drew bids from other competitors.

Shortly after Buffet made his bid, French utility giant Electricite de France stepped in and made an offer for just 50% of Constellation’s nuclear operations. It was willing to pay $4.5 billion.

Naturally, you would think Buffet would walk away from the deal with his tail between his legs. But you do not become a multi-billionaire without the savvy to hedge your bets. Buffet had a termination clause in his contract with Constellation that allowed him to prance away with almost $1.6 billion in profits after the proposed deal went sour. Not bad.

How does he do that?

With Buffet’s kind of investing intelligence, it is certainly no surprise to see another one of his prized holdings making bold moves today. Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE:CCE) boosted its 2008 earnings estimates this morning and issued a strong forecast for 2009. As I write, shares of the iconic company are up by more than 10%.

The economic maelstrom is having dramatic effects on the cola manufacturer, but the impact appears to be nothing the company’s management team cannot handle. The company is cutting unnecessary operations, increasing brand integrity and reducing supply chain waste. They are margin-increasing moves that will lower the company’s exposure to economic headwinds.

What is most intriguing is the impact macroeconomic factors are having on the company. With a well-known, inexpensive product, Coke does not have to worry about declining sales. It is not as if people need credit to buy a two-liter bottle of Sprite.

So while most firms are struggling from a lack of demand, Coke has the enviable position of actually being able to take advantage of the deflationary pressure storming the economy.

Today’s report shows how falling commodity prices are a boon to the company’s bottom line. The cheaper its inputs, the higher the company’s profit margins.

Repatriating profits

But what investors really need to pay attention to are currency fluctuations. Coca-Cola has a huge global exposure. Its products are sold through an array of currencies, but its profits are calculated in dollars.

If the dollar continues the downward spiral it is enduring this week, revenues repatriated from euros and yen could be significantly higher this time next year. Instead of one euro buying $1.37, right now the company can get $1.43. The story is even more dramatic with the yen.

The news from Coke is more proof that Buffet’s buy-what-you-use strategy has increasing merit.

Throughout the last few months, consumer staples like McDonalds (NYSE:MCD), Campbell Soup (NYCE:CPB) and General Mills (NYSE:GIS) have all proven to be strong, market-beating investments. That theme’s importance will only increase as the economy continues to slow.

If you are a traditional value investor like Buffet, look in your pantry for investing ideas. Stick with companies with broad economic exposure and a product lineup that will remain in high demand no matter how bad the economy gets.

It is how Buffet got rich and it is how you will boost your portfolio into something worth bragging about.

Source: Coca-Cola (CCE) teaches us a valuable lesson

If you didn’t invest in this nuclear equipment provider (NEP) company on March 31, you missed out. Within minutes of the latest news, shares for this NEP started rising, and currently, they are sitting 25 percent above their March 31 price.

Too bad, eh?

Normally, as an investor, I’d feel left out, but today, I’ve got reason to believe that this event is set to happen over and over, each time churning out profits that you can take! But before I tell you the ticker of this NEP company, let me set the scene for the industry that will make these profits possible…

The Nuclear Power Industry — Set to Rise

There are 104 operating nuclear reactors in the U.S. All are creating precious raw energy. But for time’s sake, I want to talk about only 56 of them — namely, the 56 plants that have operating licenses expiring within the next 12 years:

Many of these plants are on the energy-demanding East Coast — needless to say, they can’t just close down. So the plant operators have to take some important and expensive actions to keep these plants up and running. Actions that can and will make this NEP company loads of profit.

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The Secret Market Worth Millions

Microcap expert, Greg Guenthner has been working tirelessly to bring an elite group of readers the hidden gems in a lucrative “secret” market. This market is worth millions to those that get his advice.

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The company I’m recommending will be booking contracts and locking in profits for the next 12 years! Just read what its CEO said about some recent opportunities:

“With electricity demand on the rise, the value of nuclear power technology as the most efficient and environmentally friendly source of energy available today is clearly being reassessed. With our broad range of core competencies in engineering, analysis, manufacturing and testing, we are well positioned to take advantage of additional opportunities for construction projects in the U.S.”

Recently a “major project” announcement has helped push the company’s stock up 25 percent in less than two months — but that’s not where it ends. Remember, there are 56 nuclear plants that may need service or new units built — and this company is the first (and possibly the only one!) in line. Here’s why…

The Complex World of Nuclear Equipment…

Imagine how many hundreds of thousands of components go into a gigantic nuclear plant. This includes everything from wire bundles and circuit boards to valves and switches and massive steel vessels that are the size of a large house.

Really, every nuclear reactor is an incredibly complex system of systems. There is a giant containment dome that isolates a nuclear core. The core is part of a system that heats water. The hot water exchanges heat with another fluid. The heated fluid turns a turbine. The turbine generates electric power. Regulating systems control the power that gets distributed into the outside grid. For all the heat and power, there has to be a way to cool things down on command, as well.

Over time, the nuclear core bombards the nearby metal and equipment with radiation. Plus, the heating and cooling cycles take a toll on equipment and machinery. Thus, the metal in some components becomes brittle. So periodically, equipment and components have to be repaired or replaced. There is nothing fast, easy or cheap about performing work on a nuclear power plant.

All in all, inside a nuclear plant, there is a vast array of shielding and valves and piping and wiring and switches and control units. All of this suffers from wear and tear over time. There is a massive library of technical specifications, training manuals, training and safety systems and much more to make the whole thing run. And every nuclear plant has a small army of highly trained technical personnel, as well as security forces.

So as you can imagine, almost every component of a nuclear plant has to be “certified” in some way or another. That is, anything and everything that is even remotely close to the “nuclear containment” zone must meet the highest level of specifications. This is for safety purposes, of course.