LONDON -- This morning, high-yielding telecommunications group Vodafone (LSE: VOD.L) was the third-most-popular purchase by stockbroker TD Direct Investing's individual clients between the market's opening and noon BST.

The reason? A disappointing quarterly earnings statement that saw the shares beaten down almost 4% at the time of writing, to 178 pence. Hardly a high-risk falling knife; investors will simply be hoping that the fall represents a chance to buy the second-largest company in the FTSE 100 (INDEX: ^FTSE) -- together with its tasty 7.5% yield -- at a modest discount.

Nothing quite so obvious seems to have prompted investors' interest in Barclays (LSE: BARC.L) this morning, which was the fourth-most-popular purchase with TD Direct Investing's individual clients.

But the news that all the LIBOR-hit banks may agree to a joint settlement certainly takes the heat off Barclays, if true, undoubtedly adding to the bank's appeal. Meanwhile, today's 2% fall to 161 pence represents a 22% fall in the share price in just a month -- enough, clearly, to bring the bargain-hunters out in force.

Insurer Resolution (LSE: RSL.L) also proved popular, despite disappointing investors by canceling a capital return, thereby precipitating 8% being lopped off the share price. The company was the eighth-most-popular purchase by TD Direct Investing's individual clients this morning.

Again, a fall of that magnitude is enough to bring out investors hoping for a bargain -- although they will doubtless be hoping that the board won't take an ax to company's dividend as well, thereby slashing Resolution's whopping 10% yield.

Will they be disappointed? Time will tell.

Finally, what are super-investors Neil Woodford and Warren Buffett buying today? We can't tell you that, but we can tell you the names of the shares that they've been buying in the recent past -- and why they've been buying them.

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