Warren Buffett is widely regarded as one of the greatest investors of all time. Over the past six decades, the Oracle of Omaha has built Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) into a trillion-dollar empire through his disciplined, long-term approach to investing.
While Buffett primarily invests in US stocks, Aussie investors can apply his principles to ASX shares to build long-term wealth.
The key to his strategy is patience, buying great businesses at reasonable prices, and letting compounding do the work for you. As Buffett once said:
Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.
Focus on quality
Buffett's investment philosophy revolves around buying great companies with strong competitive advantages. He looks for businesses with durable economic moats—things like strong brands, cost advantages, or high switching costs that keep competitors at bay.
On the ASX, companies like ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD) and Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) fit the Buffett mould. These healthcare giants dominate their industries, benefit from high barriers to entry, and generate strong returns on equity. Investing in businesses with these qualities and holding them for the long run could lead to significant wealth generation.
Buy at fair prices
Warren Buffett is famous for saying:
It is far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.
While he avoids overpaying for stocks, he doesn't necessarily wait for companies to become cheap. Just buying wonderful companies at a fair price is sufficient. After all, wonderful companies seldom trade cheaply.
But that doesn't mean they never do. During market selloffs, many high-quality stocks trade at discounts and Buffett is known to take advantage. He once quipped:
Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.
Think long term and avoid short-term noise
One of Buffett's most important rules is to ignore short-term market fluctuations. He stated:
The stock market is a device to transfer money from the impatient to the patient.
Instead of trying to time the market, Buffett focuses on long-term business fundamentals. Aussie investors should adopt the same mindset when investing in ASX 200 shares.
Companies like TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) and Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) have strong long-term growth potential, even if their share prices experience volatility in the short term. Holding quality stocks for years—even decades—allows the power of compounding to work its magic.
Reinvest dividends and unleash compounding
Buffett famously doesn't pay dividends at Berkshire Hathaway because he prefers to reinvest profits into growth opportunities. However, he loves investing in companies that generate strong cash flows and consistently reward shareholders through dividends.
ASX investors can take a similar approach by reinvesting dividends from top dividend payers like Accent Group (ASX: AX1), Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR), and Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) to accelerate wealth creation. Over time, this can lead to a snowball effect, with dividends compounding into a significant passive income stream.
Foolish takeaway
Warren Buffett's investment approach is simple but powerful: buy wonderful businesses, hold them for the long term, and let compounding work its magic.
By applying these principles to ASX shares, Aussie investors can steadily grow their wealth and build a portfolio that stands the test of time.
