Should you be investing in growth stocks or value stocks is a common question. And TV pundits spend a lot of time discussing which category is outperforming the other. However, Warren Buffett dismisses such talk, as he doesn’t believe those categories are separable from each other.
“Well, the question about growth and value…they are not two distinct categories of business,” Warren Buffett said at the 2000 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting. “If you knew what it was going to be able to disgorge in cash between now and Judgment Day, you could come to a precise figure as to what it is worth today. Now, elements of that can be the ability to use additional capital at good rates, and most growth companies that are characterized as growth companies have that as a characteristic. But there is no distinction in our minds between growth and value. Every business we look at as being a value proposition. The potential for growth and the likelihood of good economics being attached to that growth are part of the equation in evaluation. But they’re all value decisions. A company that pays no dividends growing a hundred percent a year, you know, is losing money. Now, that’s a value decision. You have to decide how much value you’re going to get.”
Buffett’s full explanation on growth and value
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© 2021 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.