Warren Buffett is synonymous with value investing and investment success. Buffett has consistently delivered profits to his investors in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.B) for almost 60 years. Now, Buffett is 83 and probably won’t have the opportunity to build wealth for the next generation. Fortunately, Buffett has left a detailed road map of his investment strategy that we can use to build wealth long after his departure.
Buffett has built a fortune by buying shares of great companies when they were selling at a discount. He is a patient investor and waits for prices to reach what he considers to be a bargain level. Because he never knows when bargains will be found in the market, Buffett maintains a large cash position in his portfolio, something individual investors cannot do without hurting their returns.
RS has been exhaustively studied by the academic community as an anomaly to the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH). In broad terms, the EMH says that market prices incorporate all available information, making beating the market statistically unlikely. Buffett is actually considered an anomaly to the EMH because of his long record of market-beating results. RS is another anomaly because stocks that have outperformed in the past six months are likely to beat the market over the next six months.
To build on Buffett’s skills, I use his portfolio as the starting point for my trading system. Like all large investors, he tells us exactly what he is buying and selling every three months in documents he files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
But it takes more than just looking at Buffett’s portfolio and buying what he holds. Timing matters, which is why I’ve put together this free guide that shows exactly how you can beat the best investment gurus in the country at their own game.
Here’s what I mean.
After looking through Buffett’s portfolio, I identify stocks he owns that have high RS and are increasing their cash flow — fast. Research shows that cash flow is the most important fundamental metric to follow. Companies need cash flow to meet their operating expenses, make required payments on debt and reinvest in the company to ensure growth in the future.
Only companies with high RS and strong cash flow growth pass my “buy” test. Even after years of running this system, I’m often surprised by the results.
For example, Buffett’s latest regulatory filings tell us that he’s been buying more of his largest holding, Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC).
WFC is a great company. Based on return on equity and return on assets, WFC is ranked second among major banks. But here’s the surprising part: My system says WFC is not a “buy” right now.
