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Our favorite holding period is forever.

Read the full context and commentary for this Warren Buffett quote, including the core idea, practical application, and why it still matters. Warren Buffett, legendary value investor, longtime Berkshire Hathaway CEO, and disciplined advocate of buying great businesses at fair prices, built his fortune through patience, compounding, and deep fundamental analysis, a career-long philosophy that underpins enduring insights such as his famous line, "My favorite holding period is forever."

Warren Buffett quote portrait

Warren Buffett

Our favorite holding period is forever.

Source: Berkshire Hathaway Letters · Investing · Psychology · Long-term

Core Idea

Prioritize buying wonderful businesses at fair prices, then hold them indefinitely to maximize compounding returns, minimize transaction costs, and stay focused on long-term business performance, not short-term market swings.

Practical Application

Buy strong companies you truly understand, hold them through market noise, and let time and compounding grow your wealth instead of constantly trading or chasing short-term gains.

Why It Matters

Buffett reveals that the real edge in investing is patient ownership of enduringly great businesses, letting long-term compounding quietly outperform short-term trading, forecasting, and market timing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About This Quote

Who said this quote?

This quote is attributed to Warren Buffett.

What is the main lesson of this quote?

Prioritize buying wonderful businesses at fair prices, then hold them indefinitely to maximize compounding returns, minimize transaction costs, and stay focused on long-term business performance, not short-term market swings.

How can readers apply this idea?

Buy strong companies you truly understand, hold them through market noise, and let time and compounding grow your wealth instead of constantly trading or chasing short-term gains.

Where can I read more?

Use the linked author and category pages to continue exploring related ideas.