The Warren Buffett rule that could transform your ASX share portfolio

Warren Buffett has shared countless investing insights over the decades.

But one simple rule stands above the rest: buy wonderful ASX shares at fair prices.

It sounds straightforward. Yet most investors do the opposite. They chase cheap ASX shares, trade frequently, or panic during market pullbacks. Buffett’s edge hasn’t come from complexity. It has come from discipline.

Here’s how that rule could transform an ASX share portfolio.

Focus on wonderful ASX shares, not cheap

Warren Buffett doesn’t look for the lowest price-to-earnings ratio in the market. He looks for sustainable competitive advantages.

On the ASX, that might include companies like ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD), which operates in sleep disorder treatment with high barriers to entry. Or REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA), which dominates online property listings with powerful network effects.

These shares are rarely the cheapest on traditional valuation metrics. But their competitive positions allow them to grow earnings consistently over long periods.

Buffett would argue that paying a fair price for quality beats buying average businesses at bargain prices.

Think in decades, not quarters

Another part of Warren Buffett’s rule is time horizon.

If you buy a wonderful business, the intention should be to hold it. That long-term mindset changes behaviour. You become less concerned about short-term volatility and more focused on whether the company is strengthening its competitive position.

Take ResMed. Demand for sleep and respiratory care is supported by demographic trends that will likely persist for decades. Over a long horizon, those drivers matter far more than short-term share price swings.

Let compounding work quietly

The real power of Buffett’s rule lies in compounding.

When a business consistently reinvests profits at high returns on capital, earnings grow. When earnings grow, the share price tends to follow over time.

That’s how Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B) became one of the world’s most successful investment vehicles. Not through constant trading, but through owning great businesses and letting time amplify returns.

An ASX share portfolio built around high-quality compounders can operate the same way.

The transformation

Applying Buffett’s rule doesn’t require outlandish strategies.

It just means being selective. It means resisting the urge to constantly rotate. And it means prioritising business quality over short-term price movements.

Over time, that shift in mindset, from trading to owning, can be the difference between average returns and truly transformative wealth creation.

The post The Warren Buffett rule that could transform your ASX share portfolio appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Where to invest $10,000 in ASX 200 shares next week
• How to build an ASX share portfolio you can stick with long term
• Why these buy-rated ASX shares stand out to me
• What happens if you invest $10,000 in ASX shares and leave it alone for 20 years?
• Why this top fundie is doubling down on ASX 200 tech stocks like TechnologyOne and Xero shares

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in REA Group and ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Berkshire Hathaway and ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.