Investing: Why Value Matters More Than Price
In very simple terms, Buffett looks for well-managed businesses that grow more valuable over time; consequently, he often refers to a business's value "compounding," or accelerating in value. This is its intrinsic value, and being aware of it is one of the differences between an amateur investor and a professional one.
A Real Estate Example
Intrinsic value may be easier to understand from a real estate perspective.
When I buy a piece of property, I, like Buffett, am only concerned about price at the time of the purchase, because price determines returns. For the long term, I focus more on the following:
- Income (cash flow): This is often called positive cash flow after all expenses are paid, including my mortgage payment and taxes.
- Depreciation (phantom cash flow): This appears as an expense when it's really income that comes from a tax break. This confuses many people who are new to investing in real estate; it's essentially income you don't see.
- Amortization: This is income because your tenant is paying down your loan. Paying the mortgage on your personal residence is an expense, but when your tenant pays your loan down, it's cash flow.
- Appreciation: This is really inflation that appears as appreciation. If your rental income goes up, you as an investor can refinance and borrow your appreciation out as tax-free cash, and have your tenant pay for the amortization of the new loan amount. In other words, it can be tax-free cash flow.
Together, these components amount to the intrinsic value of a sound real estate investment, purchased at the right price and well managed. They provide me with what I invest for -- increased value and cash flow.
Investing vs. Speculating
Investors who buy a property to sell, often known as flippers, invest primarily for capital gains. This is often taxed at higher rates if they spend their gains instead of reinvesting their money; to me, these people are speculators, not investors.
True investors aim for cash flow and increased value. Warren Buffett doesn't like to sell because selling shares triggers a tax, and a tax reduces his wealth. Those who know Buffett's formula know that he wants to compound his returns, not share them with the government.
Keeping an Eye on Intrinsic Value
You become a better investor by training your brain to "see" what your eyes can't -- the real value (or lack of value) in any investment, regardless of whether it's a stock, bond, mutual fund, business, or real estate. This is its intrinsic value.
This highly simplified diagram of a financial statement better illustrates what I mean:
These components amount to the intrinsic value a professional real estate investor looks for in a property -- and most amateur investors miss.
When Warren Buffett mentions the intrinsic value of a company, he is referring to many of the same things. The vocabulary he uses is sometimes different, but the concept is the same.
Amateur Investing Yields Average Returns
The average stock investor refers to P/E ratios the same way that the average real estate investor refers to cap rates. While these are important indicators, they're hardly a measure of intrinsic value -- and, as I mentioned, professional investors are looking for value, not price.
To sum up, the average investor only knows one way to make money: buying low and selling high. A professional investor would rather buy low, realize gains from other arenas, and let the asset grow forever.
