Quotes from the Reuters Investment Outlook Summit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The following are some notable quotes from the Reuters 2007 Investment Outlook Summit:

MARK MOBIUS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, TEMPLETON ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD.

"Optimism is running very high. I would not say we're in a bubble kind of mentality that we were in during the dot.com boom. There are still a lot of people who remember (the crashes of) '97, 2000. But more and more are seeing an optimistic scenario."

BILL GROSS, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER OF PIMCO:

"In order to really see gold pass 800 bucks, you really need to get the world in a reflationary mode, as opposed to a disinflationary mode."

On the prospect of a $100 billion leveraged buyout:

That "may be like the well-known skyscraper phenomena that typifies the beginning of the end in a particular country. It's that type of phenomena, so if you get a mega skyscraper event -- in terms of a $100 billion -- typically that's much like how, the dollar being on the cover of the Economist. It might be the signal of the beginning of the end. But it's typical of a trend in which leverage ... yes it's been a fight to extract value via lowering an equity risk premium."

On whether he still finds his work exciting:

"It's like one giant Soduko puzzle. As long as we continue to see all of these tremendous changes in the marketplace, more and different Soduko puzzles will be presented, and it will always be challenging and fun."

DAVID EINHORN, PRESIDENT OF THE $4 BILLION HEDGE FUND GREENLIGHT CAPITAL.

On how his stock-picking approach differs from other value investors:

"We tend to ask first, 'What is misunderstood about this situation and why might this be an opportunity?' -- and then we go back and confirm through our research and analysis that this is in fact cheap."

MARK MCALLISTER, MANAGER OF THE $1.5 BILLION LEGG MASON PARTNERS INVESTORS VALUE FUND.

"Hedge funds are here to stay and a major force in the markets, but I am not sure how many people are still leaving traditional funds to join that industry. Only time will tell. With 8,000 hedge funds in the country, I have to think the majority of those are at best break-even."