Warren Buffett's Advice: 'If You Aren't Willing To Own A Stock For Ten Years, Don't Even Think About Owning It For Ten Minutes'

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is known for his emphasis on long-term investments. He focuses on businesses that he believes will maintain a competitive edge for decades to come.

What Happened: Buffett’s “buy and hold” strategy is the key to his advice for Apple investors to not get caught up in short-term metrics.

“Nobody buys a farm based on whether they think it’s going to rain next year.

They buy it because they think it’s a good investment over 10 or 20 years,” he said in an interview in 2018.

Buffett’s investment decisions are rooted in the longevity of a business, not its current performance. This approach led him to invest in See’s Candies in 1972 and Coca-Cola in 1988, both of which turned out to be profitable investments that he still owns today.

Also Read: Forget ‘Wealth’: Warren Buffett Says This Word Is the True Measure of Success

In his 1996 letter to shareholders Buffett wrote, "Put together a portfolio of companies whose aggregate earnings march upward over the years, and so also will the portfolio's market value. If you aren't willing to own a stock for ten years, don't even think about owning it for ten minutes."

Buffett’s core principle of long-term investment can be applied to almost every purchase we make. Whether it’s deciding to buy a home, clothing, appliances, or furniture, the value of an investment usually increases the longer you hold onto it.

Buffett’s strategy serves as a reminder to consider the long-term value of an investment, whether it’s a stock or a new car. 

If the Oracle of Omaha serves as any example, the discipline to buy things only when you really, really like them pays off.

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