Alex Mizerski
- Feb 1, 2023
- 8 min read

Value Investing: A Guide to Understanding and Implementing the Strategy

Photo cred to Investopedia

Value investing is an investment approach that involves searching for undervalued companies with strong fundamentals and holding them for the long term with the expectation of a price appreciation (increase).

Where did value investing come from

Value investing was popularized by American investor and businessman Benjamin Graham in the early 20th century. He is widely considered to be the father of value investing and his book "The Intelligent Investor" is considered a classic in the field.

Graham's approach to investing, which focused on finding undervalued companies with strong fundamentals, was first introduced in the 1920s and 1930s. He advocated for a disciplined, long-term approach to investing and emphasized the importance of carefully analyzing a company's financial statements and business prospects before making an investment.

Value investing has since become one of the most widely followed investment strategies and has been adopted by many successful investors, including Warren Buffett, who was a student of Graham and is considered one of the most successful value investors of all time.

Benjamin Graham via Wikipedia

Who is Benjamin Graham

Benjamin Graham (1894-1976) was an American economist, investor, and author who is widely considered to be the father of value investing. He was born in London, England, and later immigrated to the United States where he attended Columbia University and earned a Ph.D. in economics.

Graham had a long and successful career in finance and investing. He worked as a securities analyst and portfolio manager and later taught finance at Columbia University. He was also a successful author, writing several books on investing, including "Security Analysis" (co-authored with David Dodd) and "The Intelligent Investor," both of which are considered to be classics in the field of investing.

In addition to his work in finance and investing, Graham also made important contributions to the field of economics. He is known for his advocacy of a disciplined, rational approach to investing, and his focus on finding undervalued companies with strong fundamentals. He emphasized the importance of carefully analyzing a company's financial statements and business prospects before making an investment, and he believed in the power of diversification as a means of reducing risk in a portfolio.

Graham's ideas and methods have had a lasting impact on the field of investing and his approach to value investing continues to be widely followed today. Many successful investors, including Warren Buffett, have been influenced by his teachings and have used his principles to achieve long-term success in the stock market.

Who learned from Benjamin Graham

Many successful investors have been influenced by Benjamin Graham's teachings and have used his principles of value investing to achieve long-term success in the stock market. Some of the most famous investors who learned from Benjamin Graham include:

Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett is widely considered to be one of the greatest investors of all time and is known for his value investing approach. He was a student of Graham at Columbia University and has applied Graham's principles throughout his investment career.
Charlie Munger: Charlie Munger is Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate run by Warren Buffett, and is also known for his value investing approach. He has been influenced by Graham's teachings and has used his principles to achieve long-term success in the stock market.
William J. Ruane: William J. Ruane was an American investor and founder of the investment firm Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb. He was influenced by Graham's teachings and used his value investing approach to achieve long-term success in the stock market.
Jean-Marie Eveillard: Jean-Marie Eveillard is a French investor and former portfolio manager of the First Eagle Global Fund. He was influenced by Graham's teachings and used his value investing approach to achieve long-term success in the stock market.

These investors, along with many others, have demonstrated the enduring power and relevance of Benjamin Graham's ideas and methods and have made important contributions to the field of investing.

Here's a brief overview of value investing:

Look for undervalued companies: Value investors look for companies that are trading below their intrinsic value, which is calculated by evaluating their financial statements, business models, and future prospects.
Focus on fundamentals: Value investors pay attention to a company's financial health, earnings power, and growth potential. They aim to buy stocks of companies that have strong fundamentals and a sustainable business model.
Long-term perspective: Unlike traders who focus on short-term market movements, value investors take a long-term perspective and are willing to hold onto stocks for years or even decades.
Patience: Value investing requires patience as it may take a long time for a company's stock price to reflect its true value. Value investors need to be willing to wait for the market to recognize the company's value.
Diversification: Value investors typically diversify their portfolios by investing in a range of companies from different industries and sectors.

Example of value investing

Imagine that you are considering investing in a company called ABC Inc. ABC Inc. is currently trading for $50 per share and you have $1,000 to invest. You decide to perform a thorough analysis of ABC Inc. and its financial statements, and you determine that the company is undervalued based on its earnings, assets, and growth prospects.

You believe that ABC Inc. is worth $70 per share, so you decide to invest $1,000 to buy 20 shares at the current price of $50 per share. After holding the stock for a period of time, the market begins to recognize the true value of the company and the stock price rises to $70 per share.

As a result of the stock price increase, your investment in ABC Inc. is now worth $1,400, which represents a 40% return on your investment in just a short period of time. This example illustrates how value investing can be a powerful strategy for generating returns in the stock market.

It's important to note that not all investments will be successful and that past performance is not indicative of future results. Value investing requires a long-term perspective and a disciplined approach, and investors should be prepared for the possibility of short-term volatility and losses in their portfolios.

Warren Buffett via Wikipedia

Warren Buffet's examples of value investing

Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time, has a long history of investing in undervalued companies and realizing significant returns. Here are a few examples of Warren Buffett's value investing history:

Coca-Cola: In the late 1980s, Warren Buffett made a large investment in Coca-Cola. At the time, the stock was trading at a low price and was considered by many to be an out-of-favor company. However, Warren Buffett saw the underlying value in the company's brand and its strong market position, and he invested heavily in the stock. Over time, the stock price rose significantly, and today Coca-Cola remains one of Berkshire Hathaway's largest investments.
American Express: In the early 1960s, American Express faced a major crisis after it was revealed that its money order business was fraudulent. The stock price plummeted, and many investors fled the company. Warren Buffett saw the opportunity to invest in a strong brand and business at a discounted price, and he invested in American Express. Over time, the company recovered and the stock price rose, realizing significant returns for Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway.
The Washington Post Company: In the early 1970s, The Washington Post Company was facing significant challenges, including declining revenues and an unfavorable economic environment. Warren Buffett saw the underlying value in the company's strong brand and business, and he invested in the stock. Over time, the stock price rose, and The Washington Post Company became one of Berkshire Hathaway's largest investments.

These examples illustrate Warren Buffett's approach to value investing and his ability to find undervalued companies with strong underlying businesses. He has a long history of success in the stock market, and his investment principles continue to be widely followed and studied by investors around the world.

Finding undervalued companies

Financial ratio analysis: Analyzing financial ratios, such as price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price-to-book (P/B) ratio, and debt-to-equity ratio, can help identify companies that are trading at a discount compared to their peers.
Earnings quality analysis: Examining a company's earnings quality, such as its earnings stability, growth rate, and sustainability, can help identify undervalued companies.
Industry analysis: Conducting industry analysis to understand the overall health of an industry and its future prospects can help identify undervalued companies within that industry.
Screening tools: There are a number of stock screening tools available that can be used to filter stocks based on a set of criteria, such as financial ratios, earnings quality, and growth potential.
Contrarian investing: Contrarian investing involves going against the crowd and buying stocks out of the market's favor. By investing in companies that are overlooked or undervalued, you can potentially find hidden gems.
Value traps: Be cautious of value traps, which are companies that appear to be undervalued but actually have poor fundamentals or are in decline. It's important to do your due diligence and thoroughly evaluate the financial health and future prospects of a company before investing.

These strategies can be combined to help identify undervalued companies and create a diversified portfolio of high-quality stocks.

Financial fundamentals

When evaluating a company's financial fundamentals as part of a value investing strategy, you should consider the following factors:

Revenue and earnings: Review the company's revenue and earnings growth over the past few years to determine if it's a consistent and sustainable business.
Debt-to-equity ratio: This ratio measures a company's debt relative to its equity and provides insight into its financial leverage and stability.
Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio: The P/E ratio compares a company's stock price to its earnings per share and provides an indication of its valuation relative to its earnings growth.
Price-to-book (P/B) ratio: The P/B ratio compares a company's stock price to its book value and provides an indication of its valuation relative to its net worth.
Free cash flow: Review the company's free cash flow, which is the amount of cash it generates after accounting for capital expenditures, to determine if it has the resources to reinvest in its business or pay dividends to shareholders.

You can find this information in the company's annual and quarterly financial statements, which are usually available on the company's website or through financial databases such as Yahoo Finance, Google Finance, and EDGAR (Securities and Exchange Commission's database). Additionally, analyst reports and stock research websites can provide valuable insights and analysis on a company's financial fundamentals.

Stock research websites you can use

There are many stock research websites that provide financial information, analysis, and tools for individuals who want to research stocks and make informed investment decisions. Some examples of these websites include:

Yahoo Finance
Google Finance
Morningstar
Seeking Alpha
Zacks Investment Research
FINVIZ
MarketWatch
The Motley Fool
EDGAR Online
NASDAQ.com

These websites offer a range of resources for stock research, including financial statements, analyst ratings, news and commentary, stock quotes, and other tools that can help investors make informed decisions. Some of these websites are free, while others may require a subscription. It's important to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the information provided by these websites, and to use multiple sources in your stock research to get a well-rounded perspective.

Value Investing Clubs

A value investing club is a group of individuals who come together to study and practice the principles of value investing. Members of these clubs typically share a common interest in investing and a desire to learn from each other and from experienced investors. Here is a list of some well-known value investing clubs:

Columbia Business School Value Investing Program
The Berkshire Hathaway Club
The Value Investors Club
The Intelligent Investors Club
The Value Investors Network
The Value Investing Group
The Value Investors Alliance
The Value Investors Circle
The Value Investors Society
The Value Investors Association

Value investing clubs offer a range of resources and opportunities for members, including educational workshops and seminars, investment discussions and analysis, and access to a network of experienced investors. These clubs can be a great way for individuals to learn about value investing and to network with other like-minded individuals. It's important to carefully evaluate the quality and reliability of the information provided by value investing clubs, and to use multiple sources of information when making investment decisions.

Books on value investing

There is an abundance of books about value investing, below is a short list of books on value investing.

"The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham
"Security Analysis" by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd
"The Little Book of Value Investing" by Christopher H. Browne
"Value Investing: From Graham to Buffett and Beyond" by Bruce C. N. Greenwald, Judd Kahn, Paul D. Sonkin, and Michael van Biema
"The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America" edited by Lawrence Cunningham
"Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger" edited by Peter Kaufman
"One Up On Wall Street" by Peter Lynch
"The Dhandho Investor: The Low-Risk Value Method to High Returns" by Mohnish Pabrai
"Contrarian Investment Strategies: The Psychological Edge" by David Dreman
"The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor" by Howard Marks.

These books offer valuable insights into the principles and practices of value investing and provide a lot of information on how to analyze stocks, evaluate companies, and make informed investment decisions. Whether you are a seasoned investor or just starting out, these books can help you gain a deeper understanding of value investing and its potential for achieving long-term, successful returns.

Conclusion

Value investing is a proven investment strategy that has delivered excellent returns over the long term. It requires patience, discipline, and a focus on fundamentals to succeed.