Thursday 11 October 2012

Growth is simply a calculation used to determine value.

Value is the discounted present value of an investment's future cash flow; growth is simply a calculation used to determine value.

People who consistently purchase companies that exhibit low price-to-earnings, low price-to-book, and high dividend yields are customarily called "value investors."  People who claim to have identified value by selecting companies with above-average growth in earnings are called "growth investors."  Typically, growth companies possess high price-to-earnings ratios and low dividend yields.  These financial traits are exact opposite of what value investors look for in a company.

Investors who seek to purchase value often must choose between the "value" and "growth" approach to selecting stocks.

Buffett admits that years ago he participated inn this intellectual tug-of-war*.  Today he thinks the debate between these two schools of thought is nonsense.

"Growth and value investing are joined at the hip", says Buffett.



*Comment:  It is interesting to know that Buffett too had been through these intellectual debates and then formed his own conclusions.




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