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Warren Buffett inspired investors during 60 years as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
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The billionaire retired and handed the job over to Greg Abel earlier this month, but you can still turn to Buffett for investing inspiration.
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Warren Buffett’s strategy has proven to be solid over the long term, which is why so many investors turn to the billionaire for investing inspiration. Buffett led Berkshire Hathaway to market-beating returns for six decades before retiring and handing control to Greg Abel on January 1 of this year. (Buffett fans shouldn’t despair, however: The billionaire is still chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and plans to continue coming into the office and offering advice as needed.)
Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just getting started, the start of a new year is a fantastic time to benefit from Buffett’s expertise. Let’s look at three ways you can apply the billionaire’s investment strategies to your own portfolio in 2026.
Buffett is a value investor, meaning his goal is to buy a stock for less than it’s actually worth, and then profit when that stock finally reaches its true value. It’s important to remember that just because a stock is trading at a low valuation doesn’t mean the business isn’t strong. A company may have hit a rough patch or, in some cases, simply fallen out of favor with investors due to the popularity of other industries or stocks. Buffett has purchased many high-quality players over the years at reasonable prices, from his former holding company. Coca-cola to recent purchases of Alphabet and UnitedHealth Group.
Buffett has never been one to follow the crowd. As tempting as it may be to buy into the hottest stocks of the moment, take some time to consider other players that may not be attracting much attention today. Some of these stocks may be trading at interesting valuations, and their future prospects mean they may not stay at these levels for long.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy any of the most popular stocks of the moment. It simply means that you should also look for opportunities that the rest of the market may be overlooking. If you get in early, you could score a big win over time, just like Buffett.
And this brings me to my third point: focusing on the long term. Buffett has never jumped in and out of stocks to profit from a quick profit. The billionaire always buys stocks with the idea of following a company as it grows and develops over a period of years.