market folly

Warren Buffett is out with his 2017 annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.  In it, he details the full results of his hedge fund bet pitting fund of funds versus an index fund which is worth reading in full.  TLDR: They performed well the first year, but then not so much after that. Not to mention layers of fees.

In the mean time, here are some select quotes with the full document below.

"Despite our recent drought of acquisitions, Charlie and I believe that from time to time Berkshire will have opportunities to make very large purchases. In the meantime, we will stick with our simple guideline: The less the prudence with which others conduct their affairs, the greater the prudence with which we must conduct our own."

"There is simply no telling how far stocks can fall in a short period. Even if your borrowings are small and your positions aren’t immediately threatened by the plunging market, your mind may well become rattled by scary headlines and breathless commentary. And an unsettled mind will not make good decisions.

"Investing is an activity in which consumption today is foregone in an attempt to allow greater consumptionat a later date. “Risk” is the possibility that this objective won’t be attained."

"I want to quickly acknowledge that in any upcoming day, week or even year, stocks will be riskier – far riskier – than short-term U.S. bonds. As an investor’s investment horizon lengthens, however, a diversified portfolio of U.S. equities becomes progressively less risky than bonds, assuming that the stocks are purchased at a sensible multiple of earnings relative to then-prevailing interest rates."


Embedded below is Warren Buffett's 2017 annual letter:



You can download a .pdf copy here.

For more from the Oracle of Omaha, be sure to also check out Warren Buffett's interview with CNBC this week.