Israel Value Investing Blog Launch:Happy 77th Birthday Warren Buffett!

Greetings dear visitor and welcome to Israel Value Investing!

The very first post of Israel Value Investing is brought to you by the letters, 'W', 'E' & 'B' and the number '7'.

I chose to launch this post today – of all days – because it was on this day 77 years ago that we were fortunate enough to have one of history's most successful long-term investors join us.

Happy 77th Birthday Warren Edward Buffett – it's good to have you with us!

We wish you long-life – or as they say in the Jewish tradition – 'Until 120'.

The Israel Value Investing blog is dedicated first and foremost to Warren Buffett.

I have little doubt that this blog would exist if it were not for the man. One cannot generate content relating to Value Investing without referring to Warren Buffett or quoting him constantly (and - as you will see - there’s a lot worth quoting!). The contribution that he has made to the Value Investing philosophy is without measure. Through his Annual Letters to Shareholders, 6-hour long Q & A sessions at the Berkshire Annual Shareholders meeting, and hundreds of interviews, Buffett has generously shared with the world his views, philosophies and investment strategies. Anyone who had the common sense to recognize the eternal truths behind his views will not hesitate to tell you that he is a better investor, CEO, parent, and human being because of them. Close to 20 books have been written about Buffett and hundreds of media articles and interviews. It is little wonder that a cult-following has emerged, hanging off every word and every investment move.

If you have not heard about Warren Buffett, or know little about him – not to worry – I plan to dedicate an entire post to him in the coming days, and will no doubt refer to him in future posts.

The Israel Value Investing blog is where I get to combine my passion for value investing, Warren Buffett (not that kind of passion!), Israel and writing. It is here where I hope to analyze and discuss Value Investing opportunities that present themselves in Israel. It also serves as a medium to address the endless questions from family, friends, and students. Questions like:

Isn’t the stock market risky?

Shouldn’t you invest in real estate? Real estate is a much safer investment than the stock market?

If you’re so good at picking stocks why don’t you use options?

If you’re so good at picking stocks why is such a large portion of your portfolio in cash or treasuries?

Shouldn’t you have a more diversified portfolio?

Shouldn’t you exit the market now, the experts are saying that it is overpriced and heading for a crash?

Who is this Warren Buffett dude that you are endlessly quoting?

Why are you always reading?

In the Israel Value Investing blog you can expect to find posts relating to:

(i) Value Investing: What it is, what are its tenets, why it is considered the most successful long term strategy for investing in the stock market, who are its champions, why so few people have adopted it and more.

(ii) Israel: Why Value Investors around the world should be paying attentionto the Israeli economy and Israeli corporations.

(iii) Value Investing Opportunities in Israel: I intend to scour the Israeli and foreign markets for Israeli corporations that represent excellent 'value' - great companies at great prices.

(iv) Value Investing Opportunities that have nothing to do with Israel: I also intend to take a look at other value investing ideas which may not necessarily have anything to do with Israel.

(v) The Key Drivers that will significantly affect our lives: I hope to refer to the global ‘mega-trends’ that will most likely affect global business in the coming decades.

In the coming posts I hope to share with you:

• Who is this Warren Buffett dude anyway?


• Why possessing the habit of gratefulness will make you a better investor.


• How Buffett and Maimonides think alike and what they both believe is the secret to becoming a great investor.


• The foundation principles of Value Investing.

• Why Value Investors should pay close attention to the Israeli economy and Israeli corporations.

And much much more.

Before I start posting on Value Investing opportunities in the Israeli market, I am going to dedicate a series of posts to the underlying principles of Value Investing - for the unitiated.

For those readers that are already familiar with Value Investing, I ask for your patience while I bring the uninitiated up to speed, and look forward to your own contributions.

Next Post - "The Relationship between Gratitude & Value Investing"

Signing off for now: "May you always possess the wisdom to see what the market does not, and the courage to act on it."

Disclaimer

WARNING: You are about to see the obligatory legalese that covers my butt.

DISCLAIMER
Israel Value content and equity research are only the opinions of Avi Ifergan.

Investing entails some degree of risk. Investors should inform themselves of the risks involved before engaging in any investment.

While Israel Value strives to perform and provide rigorous investigative corporate research, my views cannot be tailored to take into account every investor’s needs. Israel Value does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, financial situation and personal needs. Investors should assess for themselves whether the advice is appropriate to their individual investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs before making any investment decision on the basis of such general advice. Investors should make their own assessment of the advice or seek the assistance of a professional adviser.

The content and research that Israel Value provides should not to be construed as solicitations to buy, sell or hold any of the securities discussed. The information should not be used as the sole basis for making any investment decision. Readers are urged to make a complete and independent review of the companies mentioned, which should include, but is not limited to, each company’s quarterly and annual reports, all SEC filings, and press releases.

Certain corporations or securities that Israel Value refers to may not be registered with, or subject to the reporting requirements of, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any comparable regulatory authority. Information available on such corporations or securities may be limited. Investors should obtain advice from their and own tax, financial, legal and other advisers and only make investment decisions on the basis of the investors’ objectives, experience and resources. Before commencing an investment program we recommend you seek independent professional legal, tax and investment advice as to whether it is suitable for your particular needs and circumstances. Failure to seek detailed professional personally tailored advice prior to acting could lead to you acting contrary to your own best interests and could lead to losses of capital.

Israel Value does not guarantee your individual investment results and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. The opinions and discussions included herein are based upon sources that we believe to be reliable, however no representation or warranty expressed or implied is made as to their accuracy, completeness or correctness. Again (for the third time!), Israel Value urges readers to consult with their own independent financial advisors prior to making any investment decisions.

Israel Value endeavors to ensure accuracy and reliability of the information provided but does not accept any liability whatsoever, whether in tort or contract or otherwise, for any loss or damage arising from the use of Israel Value content and research.

The owners and editors of Israel Value, their friends and families members may, in some instances, own or take positions in securities discussed. Such positions may or may not increase or decrease at any time before, during, or after distribution of any information without notice.

The opinions provided by Israel Value are subject to change without notice. Estimates of future performance are based on assumptions that may not be realized, and the price of any security mentioned may go down.

In short, these are just my humble opinions, and not matter how qualified or well-argued they may seem, investing is a risky affair, and there is always the possibility that you may lose some or most (yes- even all) of your initial investment. Always – and I mean ALWAYS – DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK – Don’t just take my word for it. PLEASE.