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The market is a voting machine in the short run.

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."

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Warren Buffett

The market is a voting machine in the short run.

Source: Berkshire Hathaway Letters · Markets

Core Idea

In the short term, stock prices reflect popularity, emotions, and crowd opinion, not true business value, so markets can misprice companies before fundamentals eventually prevail.

Practical Application

Use this quote to stay calm during market swings, focus on business fundamentals over daily price moves, and treat volatility as opportunity, not a verdict on your decisions.

Why It Matters

True investing edge comes from recognizing that markets misjudge value in the short term, allowing patient investors to profit when sentiment-driven mispricing realigns with business fundamentals.

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?

In the short term, stock prices reflect popularity, emotions, and crowd opinion, not true business value, so markets can misprice companies before fundamentals eventually prevail.

How can readers apply this idea?

Use this quote to stay calm during market swings, focus on business fundamentals over daily price moves, and treat volatility as opportunity, not a verdict on your decisions.

Where can I read more?

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