Value investing is buying stocks on sale. Just imagine you find a brand new iPhone selling for half the actual price. This is how value investing also works. So it's about:
1. Finding great companies whose stock prices are actually lower than their true worth.
2. Buying and holding them until the market realizes or reach their real value.
Key Idea:
The idea behind value investing is getting value for the price you pay.
How Value Investing Works (With Simple Example)
Let's just say that Company ABC makes:
- $10 million profit each year
- Has $50 million cash in bank
- Stock price values it at $80 million.
In that case, a value investor would quickly think this way;
This company is actually worth almost $150 million, which is assets + profits, but if I bargain well, I can actually buy it for $80 million. That's the whole idea behind value investing.
4 Easy Steps to Start Value Investing
1. Look for undervalued stock. To look for undervalued stocks, use financial ratios like:
- P/E Ratio (Price/Earnings) < 15 = potentially cheap
- P/B Ratio (Price/Book) < 1 = selling below asset value. Using these formulas lets you know what undervalued stocks are.
2. Find Strong Companies
- Look for companies with consistent profits for 5+ years.
- Consider company with little debt (Debt/Equity ratio < 0.5).
- The company should also boast of good management. You can do this by checking the CEO interviews.
3. Buy When Others Are Fearful
- I can tell you categorically that the best opportunities come during market crashes/recessions.
4. Hold Long-Term
- It's advisable to wait for a period between 3-5 years for the stock to reach its true value before trading it.
5 Famous Value Stocks in 2025
1. Bank of America (BAC) – This is trading below book value.
2. Verizon (VZ) - This is high dividend with low P/E
3. Toyota (TM)- It's a very strong brand with reasonable price.
4. Alibaba (BABA)- It's a Chinese giant trading at a discount.
5. Pfizer (PFE).- It's a pharma stock with a whopping 6% dividend.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Why Value Investing Works in 2025
- It works in all market conditions.
- It doesn't really require you to watch the markets daily.
- It's proven by decades of success. According to records, Warren Buffett made $100B+ this way. That is actually Warren Buffett's investing strategy.
- It's a perfect investment for the patient investors.