How to Invest Like Warren Buffett

Many people assume Warren Buffett’s investment strategy is a big secret–but it’s actually not a secret at all.

In fact, Buffett has included his investment criteria in the opening pages of every single Berkshire Hathaway Annual Report since 1982:

Let it be known that Buffett is talking about private acquisitions of entire companies here. So, unless you have $5-20 billion sitting around, the above criteria probably aren’t practical to you.

But don’t worry.

🔍 Track stock picks and portfolio of Berkshire Hathaway, the holding company of Warren Buffett, to see which stocks he currently invests in: Warren Buffet Portfolio Tracker

In the 1977 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter, Buffett gives us one of our first glimpses into what he looks at when he evaluates a stock:

Apart from the first and last criteria of “large purchases” and “an offering price”, this is just the same list as Berkshire’s Acquisition Criteria for purchases of private companies that I presented first.

Let’s beak it down.

Warren Buffett’s 4 Principles

Indeed, these “4 Principles” as I call them are pure Buffett, and succinctly summarize some of his core beliefs inherent in many of his most popular quotes:

A business we understand: Invest within your circle of competence

What an investor needs is the ability to correctly evaluate selected businesses. Note that word “selected”: You don’t have to be an expert on every company, or even many. You only have to be able to evaluate companies within your circle of competence. The size of that circle is not very important; knowing its boundaries, however, is vital.

 

With favorable long-term prospects: Our favorite holding period is forever

Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre.

 

Operated by able and trustworthy management: Reputation is your most important asset

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.

 

Available at a very attractive price: Intrinsic value and a margin of safety

Long ago, Ben Graham taught me that ‘Price is what you pay; value is what you get.’ Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.

Principles #1, #3, and #4 are simple to grasp: Stick with what you know, find good & honest managers (but not ones that are solely responsible to the success of the business), pay less than the value you’re receiving.

But what about Principle #2? What does Buffett mean by “favorable long-term prospects” and how can we determine if a company meets this criterion?

The answer to this question comes down to whether the company has an enduring “moat” that will protect its “castle.” In other words, does the company have some long-term competitive edge that will allow it to continue to earn high returns on its capital?

Buffett revisits these 4 Principles in the 2007 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder’s Letter. Even after 40 years his principles are virtually the same.

How Can You Apply Buffett’s 4 Principles to Your Own Investing?

1) Stay Within Your Circle of Competence

What industries and companies do you understand? For example, Apple, Kellogg, and John Deere have easy business models to understand and operate in relatively straightforward industries. Think you want to invest in that hot tech start-up that facilitates the creation of backward overflow synergies?

Unless you have specialized industry expertise and know what that means, or you take the time to carefully study the company and industry first, you better stay away.

2) Look for Companies with Favorable Long-Term Prospects

What is your company’s long-term competitive advantage? Does your company have a very wide and very sustainable “moat” that will protect its “castle” for years to come? Or will the company constantly have to re-dig its moat every year?

3) Evaluate Top Management for Honesty and Competence

Has the company or any of its executives been involved in fraud at any point in time? Is there “key man” (or key woman) risk? What would happen if the CEO or founder of the company left?

4) Is the Stock of the Company at Least Reasonably Priced?

What is the price of the company on the stock market and what do you think the intrinsic value of the company actually is? Is there a margin of safety, i.e. is the stock trading at a discount?

And that’s all there is to know. If you adhere Buffett’s four simple principles, they will guarantee you prosperity in your investments. If you are curious to know in more detail about value investing, you can download my free E-book.

The Ultimate Guide to Value Investing

Do you want to know how to invest like the value investing legend Warren Buffett? All you need is money to invest, a little patience—and this book. Learn more

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Full of wisdom from Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, and Benjamin Graham, it will propel you to investment success. 

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

BY ALICE SCHROEDER

Here is the book recounting the life and times of one of the most respected men in the world, Warren Buffett. The legendary Omaha investor has never written a memoir, but now he has allowed one writer, Alice Schroeder, unprecedented access to explore directly with him and with those closest to him his work, opinions, struggles, triumphs, follies, and wisdom. The result is the personally revealing and complete biography of the man known everywhere as “The Oracle of Omaha.”

View on Amazon

Buffettology: The Previously Unexplained Techniques That Have Made Warren Buffett The World’s Most Famous Investor

BY MARY BUFFETT AND DAVID CLARK

Mary Buffett, former daughter-in-law of this legendary financial genius and a successful businesswoman in her own right, has teamed up with noted Buffettologist David Clark to create Buffettology, a one-of-a-kind investment guide that explains the winning strategies of the master.

View on Amazon