Tuesday, 16 December 2025

Warren Buffett WARNING: The 4 Popular Stocks I'm Selling Before the Crash

 



Here is a comprehensive summary designed to help an investor understand the core message, warnings, and advice.

Executive Summary: A Veteran's Urgent Warning

A seasoned investor, invoking the wisdom and style of Warren Buffett, issues a stark warning about extreme overvaluation in popular parts of the market. He is aggressively selling four types of "priced for perfection" investments because he sees conditions reminiscent of past major bubbles (1999, 2007). His message is not about timing a crash tomorrow, but about prudent risk management before a painful correction inevitably arrives.


Part 1: The Four Dangerous Investments to Sell NOW

He identifies four categories of stocks that are primed for devastating losses:

  1. Tesla (The Overvalued Disruptor):

    • Thesis: A good company at a catastrophically bad price. Its valuation assumes it will become the most profitable automaker in history while facing intense competition from every major global car company.

    • Key Risk: The auto industry is a brutal, capital-intensive business with thin margins. Tesla's first-mover advantage is eroding, and its "tech company" narrative cannot justify its stock price against fundamental automotive economics.

  2. Nvidia (The AI Darling Priced for Perfection):

    • Thesis: A wonderful company turned terrible investment due to its valuation. The stock price assumes decades of unchallenged monopoly-like dominance in AI chips.

    • Key Risk: The semiconductor industry is fiercely competitive, with constant disruption. Nvidia's largest customers (Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta) are actively developing their own chips to reduce dependence. The current AI spending boom could slow if ROI disappoints.

  3. Office REITs (The Structurally Impaired Asset):

    • Thesis: This is a permanent, structural decline, not a cyclical downturn. The work-from-home revolution has permanently reduced demand for office space.

    • Key Risk: Record-high vacancies lead to falling rents, which lead to collapsing property values and defaults on highly leveraged buildings. Office REITs are still priced for a recovery that will not happen.

  4. "Yield Trap" Dividend Stocks (The False Safe Haven):

    • Thesis: Exceptionally high dividend yields are often a warning sign, not a bargain. They typically indicate a falling stock price due to a struggling business.

    • Key Risk: The dividend is likely unsustainable and will be cut. Investors then suffer a "double whammy": loss of income and significant capital destruction. This is prevalent in sectors like legacy telecom and challenged commercial real estate.

Common Thread: All are "priced for perfection"—their valuations have no margin of safety and require flawless, decades-long execution. Any disappointment will trigger severe declines.


Part 2: Historical Context & The Inevitable Cycle

  • "I've Seen This Movie Before": He draws direct parallels to the Nifty Fifty (1960s), the Dot-com bubble (1999), and the Housing Mania (2007). The pattern is always the same: euphoria, abandonment of valuation discipline, the belief "this time is different," followed by a violent return to reality.

  • Psychology of Bubbles: During bull markets, investors develop "collective amnesia," forgetting the pain of past losses and becoming dangerously complacent.


Part 3: Practical Advice for the Investor

If you own these types of stocks, here is his 5-step framework:

  1. Don't Panic Sell: Act thoughtfully, not emotionally. Sell gradually over time, considering tax implications.

  2. Assess Your Personal Risk: Is this a small portion of your long-term "temporary capital" (you can ride it out), or a large part of your retirement "permanent capital" (you cannot afford the loss)?

  3. Audit Your "Why": The only valid reason to own a stock is that you believe it is undervalued based on its future cash flows. If your reason is "it's popular" or "it's gone up," you are speculating.

  4. Acknowledge Uncertainty: He might be wrong or early. The stocks could keep rising. Make decisions based on probability and risk/reward, not certainty.

  5. Use "Perspective Hindsight": Ask yourself: "One year from now, if these stocks have fallen 50%, what will I wish I had done today?" Let this future clarity guide your present actions.

What He Is Doing Instead:

  • Raising Significant Cash: For safety ("dry powder") to deploy during the next market downturn.

  • Focusing on Boring Durability: Buying companies with strong balance sheets, pricing power, and essential products (e.g., insurance, railroads, utilities) that can survive any storm.

  • Being Patient: Waiting for true value opportunities, often where no one else is looking.


Part 4: The Final Ultimatum

  • The Correction WILL Come: "It always does." The prepared will be rewarded; the unprepared will be devastated.

  • You Have Been Warned: The speech is a final alert. The time to act is before the crash, not during it.

  • The Choice is Yours: You can heed this warning based on decades of experience, or dismiss it. Your decision will determine whether you protect your capital or suffer preventable losses.

Bottom Line for the Investor

This is not a prediction of doom, but a call for prudence and discipline. The core message is timeless: Valuation matters. Don't follow the herd. Protect your capital first. The speaker urges you to critically examine your portfolio, reduce exposure to extremely overvalued, popular assets, and position yourself to survive and thrive when the market's mood inevitably shifts from greed to fear.


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Based on the transcript from 0 to 15 minutes, the speaker is presenting a dire warning, styled after Warren Buffett's philosophy, about four popular stocks he is selling aggressively. Here is a summary:

Core Message: He is selling popular, widely-held stocks because he sees conditions similar to past major downturns (like 2007). He's not predicting a crash tomorrow but warning that overvalued, speculative stocks will fall the hardest.

The Four Stocks He's Selling:

  1. Tesla: Despite being a good company with a passionate following, its stock price is unjustified. It trades at a P/E ratio that requires impossible future dominance in the brutally competitive auto industry. Every major automaker is now competing in EVs, and Tesla's first-mover advantage and "tech company" narrative don't justify its valuation when margins are already under pressure from price cuts.

  2. Nvidia: While a wonderful company critical to AI, its current valuation is a "terrible investment" because it prices in decades of perfect, unchallenged dominance. The semiconductor industry is brutally competitive (citing Intel's fall), and Nvidia's biggest customers (Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta) are developing their own chips to reduce dependence. The AI spending boom may slow if returns disappoint.

  3. Office REITs (Commercial Real Estate): This is a sector-wide warning. The work-from-home revolution is a permanent structural change, not a cycle. This has led to record-high vacancies, falling rents, and plummeting property values. Many buildings are financed with high debt they can no longer service. Office REITs are still priced for a recovery that won't come, making them dangerous.

  4. Overvalued "Yield Trap" Dividend Stocks: He loves dividends but warns that exceptionally high yields are often a red flag. A high yield can mean the stock price has fallen because the business is struggling and the dividend is at risk of being cut (e.g., telecoms facing cord-cutting). He warns against companies with unsustainable payout ratios, declining earnings, high debt, or in disrupted industries.

Common Thread & Historical Parallels:
All four are "priced for perfection" with no margin of safety. He draws direct parallels to past manias (dot-com bubble, 2007 housing) where popular, overvalued assets crashed violently when reality set in. He emphasizes that good companies can be bad stocks at the wrong price.

His Action Plan:
He is raising significant cash for safety and future opportunities, and focusing on boring businesses with strong balance sheets, pricing power, and capable management—companies that can weather any storm.


Based on the transcript from 15 to 30 minutes, the speaker shifts from detailing specific stocks to giving overarching advice and psychological warnings. Here is a summary:

The Common Danger & How to Respond

All four stock categories share the same fatal flaw: they are "priced for perfection" in an imperfect world. When stocks have no margin of safety, any disappointment leads to severe declines.

What He's Doing With the Proceeds:

  1. Holding More Cash: For safety and future opportunities ("dry powder"), just like in 2008.

  2. Focusing on Boring, Durable Businesses: Companies with strong balance sheets, genuine pricing power, and essential products (e.g., insurance, railroads, utilities, consumer staples).

  3. Being Patient and Selective: Waiting for great opportunities, often found where others aren't looking.

  4. Seeking Value in Neglected Areas: Avoiding the hype (AI/tech) to find value in overlooked sectors.

Addressing Objections & Final Warnings

  • On Being "Wrong" or "Out of Touch": He acknowledges missing some gains (like Google/Amazon) but frames these as errors of omission—far better than the errors of commission (catastrophic losses) he avoided in past bubbles. The fundamentals of valuation and human nature driving boom/bust cycles never change.

  • The Psychology of Risk: During bull markets, investors develop "collective amnesia" about the pain of losses, becoming complacent and taking excessive risks. The crash painfully restores this memory.

Practical Advice for Listeners

  1. Don't Panic Sell: If you decide to sell, do it thoughtfully and gradually, considering tax implications.

  2. Assess Your Personal Situation: The impact of a 50% loss is very different for a young investor versus a retiree living off their portfolio.

  3. Ask "Why Do I Own This?": The only good reason is that you believe the stock is undervalued based on its future cash flows—not because it's popular or has gone up.

  4. Prepare for the Possibility He's Wrong: The stocks could keep rising, but he bases decisions on probability and expected value. The risk/reward is currently unfavorable.

  5. Use "Perspective Hindsight": Ask yourself: "A year from now, if these stocks have fallen 50%, what will I wish I had done today?"

Final Plea

He states the next few years will separate the prepared from the unprepared. He wants listeners to be wise investors who maintain caution during booms so they can protect their capital and emerge stronger from the inevitable correction. The core message is a final warning: "Markets have a way of humbling those who ignore risk."


Based on the final segment (30-45 minutes), the speaker delivers his closing arguments and a final, urgent plea. Here is a summary of the key points:

Core Final Warning & The Inevitable Outcome

  • The Inevitable Crash: The speaker unequivocally states that "the crash will come. It always does." The purpose of the entire talk is to give listeners the foresight to act before this happens.

  • Purpose of the Warning: He wants listeners to remember his warning when the correction arrives, so they can look back and know they had an opportunity to act before losses mounted.

The Great Divergence Ahead

The speaker frames the next few years as a critical separating event:

  • The Prepared: Those who heed warnings, maintain caution, avoid speculation, and keep cash will enter the next bull market with capital intact and ready to invest.

  • The Unprepared: Those who dismiss warnings, chase returns, and take excessive risk will spend years just trying to recover from preventable losses.

The Ultimate Choice & Your Decision

  • A Personal Ultimatum: He presents the listener with a final, binary choice:

    1. Heed the warning: Protect your capital by acting on his advice.

    2. Dismiss it: Ignore it as the worries of "an old man who doesn't understand today's market."

  • Ownership of Consequences: He emphasizes, "The decision is yours," placing the responsibility for the outcome squarely on the listener.

Final Reiteration of His Actions

He reminds the listener one last time of his personal conviction: "I've been preparing for what's coming... I've been selling... I've been raising cash." He is leading by example and urging the listener to follow.

Overall Message of the Final Segment

The conclusion is not a summary of stocks, but a powerful call to action based on generational wisdom. The speaker uses stark language ("fortunes evaporate," "preventable losses") to create a sense of urgency. The goal is to shake the listener out of complacency and motivate them to make defensive portfolio changes before a market downturn humbles the unprepared.


The speech concludes with the speaker's final warning:

"I've been preparing for what's coming... I've been selling... I've been raising cash... The question is whether you'll do the same... Consider yourself warned. Now the decision is yours."


This covers from approximately 45:00 to 53:22, which is the concluding segment of the speech. Here is a precise summary of this final portion:

Five Practical Steps for the Listener (45:00 - 48:57)

The speaker shifts from giving warnings to offering a direct, five-point action plan:

  1. Don't Panic Sell: Act thoughtfully, not emotionally. Sell gradually and consider tax implications. The goal is risk reduction, not a full exit.

  2. Consider Your Personal Situation: Assess if the risky stocks are a small (manageable) or large (dangerous) part of your portfolio. Differentiate between "temporary capital" (young investors can recover) and "permanent capital" (retirees cannot afford impairment).

  3. Ask "Why Do I Own This?": The only valid reason is a conviction that the stock is undervalued based on its future cash flows. Popularity, past performance, or a good story are not reasons.

  4. Prepare for the Possibility He's Wrong: Acknowledge he might be early, and the stocks could keep rising. Invest based on probability and expected value, not certainty. Reduce exposure when the risk/reward is unfavorable.

  5. Use "Perspective Hindsight": Ask: "A year from now, if these stocks have fallen 50%, what will I wish I had done today?" This removes emotion and clarifies the prudent choice.

The Final Ultimatum & Core Warning (48:57 - 52:11)

  • The Choice is Yours: He states the information has been shared, but every investor's situation is different.

  • The Inevitable Correction: He reiterates his core certainty: a correction always comes eventually, and the four stocks he named will be among the biggest losers.

  • The Time to Act is NOW: "The time to sell is before everyone else realizes they should sell."

  • The Psychology of Complacency: He delivers a final lesson on "collective amnesia"—how during bull markets, investors forget the pain of loss, become complacent, take excessive risks, and are brutally reminded when the crash arrives.

The Final Plea & Concluding Dichotomy (52:11 - End)

  • The Wise vs. The Foolish: The investors who thrive are those who never forget past lessons, maintain caution, and hold cash—they look "foolish" during the boom but "wise during the bust."

  • A Direct Appeal: "I want you to be one of those wise investors."

  • The Great Separation: The coming years will separate the prepared from the unprepared, determining who enters the next bull market ready to invest or who spends years recovering losses.

  • Final Words: "Consider yourself warned. Now the decision is yours."

In essence, this final segment transforms the speech from an analysis into a urgent call to action, providing a clear framework for decision-making and ending with a powerful, personal challenge to the listener. 


A simple check-list to guide your thinking and investing.

 


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There is a better way to get wealthy: pick dividend growth stocks

 

There is a better way to get wealthy: pick dividend growth stocks

https://myinvestingnotes.blogspot.com/2015/05/there-is-better-way-to-get-wealthy-pick.html


Based on the article dated May 15, 2015, the author Mike presents his complete, multi-step model for selecting and investing in dividend growth stocks. The goal is to build a portfolio that generates both capital appreciation and consistent, growing dividend income while being simple and efficient to manage.

Key Ideas:

  • The author shifted to this strategy after the 2008 financial crisis, aiming for a less aggressive, more sustainable approach than his prior trading-focused method.

  • The model is designed to address two common investor problems: lack of time and the need for a systematic buy/sell methodology.

The 5-Step Dividend Growth Stock Selection Model:

Step 1: Initial Stock Screening
Use a stock screener (e.g., FinViz or YCharts) to filter stocks based on specific metrics:

  • Valuation: Dividend yield > 3%, P/E and Forward P/E < 20.

  • Fundamentals: Positive 5-year EPS and Sales growth, Return on Equity > 10%, Payout Ratio < 70%.

Step 2: Analyze Sales and EPS Trends
Examine the 5-year trends of Sales and Earnings Per Share (EPS) together. Both should be growing and moving in the same general direction, indicating healthy business growth and stable margins.

Step 3: Examine Dividend Growth History
Create a simple 5-year graph of dividend payouts. Look for a stable, consistently upward trend rather than erratic or stagnant payment history.

Step 4: Assess Sustainability
Evaluate the company's ability to sustain and grow its dividend by examining:

  • Management: Their tenure, compensation, and stated dividend philosophy.

  • Recent Performance: Quarterly results vs. expectations and company guidance.

  • Future Projects: The company's initiatives to grow and adapt its business for the future.

Step 5: Look to the Future
Synthesize the analysis to judge if the company can maintain its dividend through various economic conditions. Key questions involve its resilience during a recession and the impact of a sales slowdown.

Building the Portfolio: The Quadrant Strategy

To refine the final stock picks and construct the portfolio, the author uses a series of four quadrant analyses. Each quadrant plots two key metrics to visually compare stocks and identify the most attractive candidates.

  1. Dividend Yield vs. Payout Ratio: Seeks high yield with a low, sustainable payout ratio (ideally below 70%).

  2. Dividend Yield vs. 5-Year Dividend Growth: Seeks high yield combined with strong historical dividend growth.

  3. 5-Year Dividend Growth vs. 5-Year Revenue Growth: Seeks companies where dividend growth is supported by solid revenue growth.

  4. P/E Ratio vs. 5-Year Income Growth: Seeks reasonable valuation (lower P/E) coupled with strong historical profit growth.

Conclusion of the Strategy:
By cross-referencing all four quadrants, investors can identify stocks that consistently rank well (prime candidates for purchase), those that need more research due to mixed signals, and those that should be eliminated.

Buffett's Business Categories: Great, Good, and Gruesome

 

Buffett's Business Categories: Great, Good, and Gruesome

In his 2007 Annual Report (pages 7–10), Warren Buffett categorizes businesses into three distinct types, using vivid analogies to illustrate his investment philosophy. Here’s an expanded breakdown of each category:


🏆 GREAT Businesses

“The Great one pays an extraordinarily high interest rate that will rise as the years pass.”

🔑 Characteristics:

  • Wide & Enduring Moat: Sustainable competitive advantage that competitors cannot easily cross

  • Minimal Capital Requirements: Can grow earnings without significant reinvestment

  • High Returns on Invested Capital: Consistently high returns on tangible assets

  • Strong Pricing Power: Ability to raise prices without losing customers

  • Predictable & Durable: Stable industry with slow change

📈 Example: See’s Candy

  • Purchase: 1972 for $25 million

  • Sales then: $30 million; Sales in 2007: $383 million

  • Pre-tax earnings then: <$5 million; Pre-tax earnings in 2007: $82 million

  • Capital required then: $8 million; Capital required in 2007: $40 million

  • Key metric: Earned $1.35 billion pre-tax since purchase while requiring only $32 million in additional capital

  • Why it’s great:

    • Strong brand loyalty

    • Cash business (no receivables)

    • Short production cycle (low inventory)

    • Sends almost all earnings back to Berkshire for reinvestment

🏰 Other Great Businesses (by Buffett’s criteria):

  • Coca-Cola (global brand, pricing power)

  • GEICO (low-cost producer in auto insurance)

  • American Express (powerful brand, network effect)

  • Microsoft & Google (high returns with minimal capital needs)


👍 GOOD Businesses

“The Good one pays an attractive rate of interest that will be earned also on deposits that are added.”

🔑 Characteristics:

  • Solid Economics: Good returns on capital

  • Requires Reinvestment: Must reinvest earnings to grow

  • Durable Competitive Advantage: But less impregnable than "Great" businesses

  • Steady Earnings Growth: But growth tied to capital investment

  • Respectable but Not Spectacular Returns

📊 Example: FlightSafety International

  • Purchase: 1996

  • Pre-tax earnings then: $111 million; in 2007: $270 million

  • Fixed assets then: $570 million; in 2007: $1.079 billion

  • Investment required: $923 million depreciation + $1.635 billion capital expenditures = $2.558 billion total investment

  • Key metric: Gained $159 million in earnings but required $509 million incremental investment

  • Why it’s good (not great):

    • Must constantly buy new simulators to match new aircraft models

    • Each simulator costs >$12 million (273 simulators total)

    • "Put-up-more-to-earn-more" model

⚡ Other Good Businesses:

  • Regulated Utilities (MidAmerican Energy)

  • Most Industrial Companies

  • Many Manufacturing Businesses


💀 GRUESOME Businesses

“The Gruesome account both pays an inadequate interest rate and requires you to keep adding money at those disappointing returns.”

🔑 Characteristics:

  • Rapid Growth Requirements: Needs constant capital infusion

  • Poor or No Profits: Earns little or no money despite growth

  • No Durable Competitive Advantage: "Moats" are illusory or quickly crossed

  • Capital Intensive: Consumes cash

  • Vulnerable to Competition: Subject to continuous "creative destruction"

✈️ Prime Example: Airlines

  • Buffett's famous quote: "If a farsighted capitalist had been present at Kitty Hawk, he would have done his successors a huge favor by shooting Orville down."

  • History lesson: Buffett bought USAir preferred stock in 1989, eventually sold at a profit during "misguided optimism," then watched the company go bankrupt twice

  • Why airlines are gruesome:

    • Insatiable capital demands

    • Fierce competition

    • High fixed costs

    • Vulnerable to fuel prices, economic cycles, and disasters

    • No durable pricing power

📉 Characteristics of Gruesome Industries:

  • Capital-intensive manufacturing with rapid technological change

  • Businesses requiring superstar management to succeed

  • Industries prone to rapid obsolescence

  • Companies where success depends on continuous innovation just to survive


💡 Buffett's Investment Implications

For GREAT Businesses:

  • Buy at reasonable prices and hold forever

  • Use their cash flows to buy other great businesses

  • Don't worry about growth rates—focus on return on capital

  • Example: See's earnings funded many other Berkshire acquisitions

For GOOD Businesses:

  • Buy at attractive prices

  • Expect decent but not spectacular returns

  • Recognize they're "savings accounts" that require deposits to grow

  • Manage for steady improvement

For GRUESOME Businesses:

  • AVOID (with rare exceptions for turnaround specialists)

  • Recognize that "growth" can be a trap if it requires too much capital

  • Understand industry economics before investing

  • Buffett's admission: Even he makes mistakes here (Dexter Shoe)


🎯 The Core Philosophy

1. Focus on the Business, Not the Stock:

  • "It's better to have a part interest in the Hope Diamond than to own all of a rhinestone."

2. Seek Durable Advantages:

  • "A truly great business must have an enduring 'moat' that protects excellent returns on invested capital."

3. Beware of Change:

  • "We rule out businesses in industries prone to rapid and continuous change."

  • "A moat that must be continuously rebuilt will eventually be no moat at all."

4. Management Matters, But the Business Matters More:

  • "If a business requires a superstar to produce great results, the business itself cannot be deemed great."

  • Compare: A brilliant brain surgeon's practice vs. Mayo Clinic—the institution outlasts the individual.


📚 Key Takeaways for Investors

  1. Look for businesses that can grow without much capital

  2. Avoid businesses that consume cash for growth

  3. Durable competitive advantages are more important than growth rates

  4. Simple businesses you understand are preferable to complex ones

  5. Price matters—even great businesses can be poor investments at high prices

Buffett's framework explains why Berkshire owns See's Candy but avoids airlines, and why he prefers businesses like GEICO and Coca-Cola over capital-intensive industries. This categorization remains central to Berkshire's acquisition strategy and investment approach today.




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  • Buffett measures investments by earnings growth and moat widening, not stock price.