Five Simple Steps to Successful Investing

Forget about momentum, charts, and trading catalysts.

Paul A. Larson 27 November, 2007 | 12:04PM
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America's Warren Buffett is one of the world's most successful investors by any measure. That said, it is amazing how simple his investment strategy is, and how few successfully emulate it. The good news is that the skill-set required to invest like Buffett is quite widespread, and any nominally intelligent person can do it… with the proper focus and attitude.

Below, I've boiled down the wisdom that Buffett and his partner in crime Charlie Munger have given over the years into five simple steps.

1. Buy businesses, not stocks
The financial media and many beginning investors often equate investing with trading. Nothing could be further from the truth. One of the most important things to remember when investing in

stocks is that they are not just little pieces of paper to be traded. Rather, they represent ownership stakes in businesses.

I believe it is incredibly helpful to think like a business owner (and not just a "renter") when considering what to buy. This simple frame of mind will tremendously help both in stock selection and valuation.

2. Focus on companies with wide economic moats
Companies that have their cash flows structurally protected from competition should fare much better than their rivals in an economic downturn, while also increasing in intrinsic value at above-average rates over long periods. In other words, time is on your side with these companies.

So how can you identify them? It's not always simple, but firms that are low-cost producers, benefit from customer switching costs, or that have intangibles like patents and brands all have competitive advantages that help widen their economic moats.

3. Let intrinsic value be your touchstone
The value of a business is the value of all the cash that business can generate for its owners in the future, discounted to today's terms. And since stocks represent ownership stakes in businesses, it makes perfect sense to value stocks via discounted cash-flow analyses. Forget about momentum and charts and trading catalysts; the intrinsic value of the businesses you are buying should be the utmost reference point. Valuing stocks any other way, as Charlie Munger would say, is just moronic. This is why every single fair value estimate our equity analysts publish at Morningstar is backed by a discounted cash-flow valuation model.

4. Always require a margin of safety
Any intrinsic value estimate is based on projections of future cash flows. And since the future is inherently uncertain, it is highly beneficial to only buy at a discount to fair value to account for that uncertainty. Buying stocks without a margin of safety is like driving without a spare tire… you can do it for a while, but eventually something bad is going to happen.

5. Think independently, and be patient
We as humans are innately wired to receive comfort from going with the crowd. Meanwhile, we all want instant satisfaction. But these are harmful things when investing, and learning to avoid our own shortcomings is a surefire way to boost returns. To be greedy when others are fearful, and fearful when others are greedy, is some of the best advice Buffett has ever given.

This recipe has worked exceedingly well, both for Berkshire Hathaway over the decades, and for our Morningstar equity analysts more recently. I have no doubt it will continue to work in the future. If you want to find some of the raw ingredients for this recipe, keep your eyes peeled for companies with wide moats that are trading at discounts to intrinsic value, and do your best to tune out the noise of daily trading activity.

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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About Author

Paul A. Larson  Paul Larson is an equities strategist with Morningstar and editor of Morningstar StockInvestor, which seeks to purchase shares of quality companies at a discount to their intrinsic values. StockInvestor features two market-beating portfolios: the Tortoise and the Hare. Paul joined Morningstar in 2002, and he was the lead writer and editor for Morningstar's educational series of stock-investing books. Click here for a free issue of StockInvestor.

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