Forever the optimist

• "It does look like the pace of increase in the economy has slowed down," Warren Buffett tells CNBC's Becky Quick. "I'd call it somewhere close to noticeably, but I wouldn't go beyond that."

• Buffett notes that a slowdown in BNSF, the railroad company owned by Berkshire, is flashing a signal of slower growth, but he adds that some of the data may be distorted by seasonal factors, such as the weather.

• His comments come as fears of an economic slowdown have driven Treasury yields down sharply.

His railroad won't be doing much hiring nor buying new equipment.