Superannuation naturally encourages investors to think in decades.

That makes Warren Buffett an interesting investor to learn from. His success has come from finding strong businesses, paying sensible prices, and giving them a very long time to create value.

I think several parts of that approach translate particularly well to retirement investing.

Think like an owner

Warren Buffett does not treat shares as pieces of paper to trade. He approaches them as ownership stakes in real businesses.

I think that mindset is valuable inside a self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF).

If I were buying Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), for example, I would want to understand why customers choose the bank, what protects its position, and whether it can still be a stronger business many years from now.

The same thinking could apply to Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), or any other long-term holding.

Share prices can move dramatically in the meantime. The underlying business is what ultimately interests me.

Quality deserves attention

Buffett became increasingly focused on owning excellent businesses rather than simply finding shares that looked statistically cheap.

For a superannuation portfolio, I think that is an important distinction.

A company with a strong competitive position, capable management, healthy finances, and room to reinvest can potentially keep increasing its value for years.

Paying a sensible price still matters. But I would not automatically reject a high-quality company because another share trades on a lower price-to-earnings ratio.

Over a 20 or 30-year timeframe, the ability of the business to keep progressing can become far more important than squeezing every last dollar out of the initial purchase price.

Activity is not the goal

SMSF investors can buy and sell investments whenever they like within the rules of their fund, but that does not mean they need to.

Warren Buffett is famous for holding some businesses for decades.

I think there is a lesson in that. Constantly changing investments creates more opportunities to make poor decisions, particularly when fear or excitement is driving the market.

If the reason I bought a company remains intact, I would rather let management keep building the business than sell simply because another share suddenly looks more exciting.

A long superannuation timeframe gives investors the freedom to be patient.

Most investors do not need to be Buffett

There is also a lesson in Warren Buffett’s support for low-cost index investing.

He has spent his career outperforming markets through individual stock selection, but very few investors can replicate that record.

For someone who does not want to spend years studying businesses, a broad exchange-traded fund (ETF) such as the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) or Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) can provide a far simpler approach.

That still allows an investor to participate in long-term business growth without needing to identify the eventual winners personally.

Foolish takeaway

The biggest Warren Buffett lesson I would take into superannuation is that investing does not need constant action.

A long timeframe is valuable when it is paired with sensible investments and enough patience to leave them alone.

Whether that means carefully chosen ASX shares or broad index ETFs, I think keeping the strategy understandable and long term can give retirement savings a strong foundation.

The post What Warren Buffett’s investing style can teach superannuation investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: Pro Medicus, BHP, CBA shares
• No savings at 30? Here’s how I’d aim to retire early with $1 million buying ASX shares
• Looking for income for life? These are the ASX shares I’d consider
• These are the 10 richest people in the world in September
• How to build a winning ASX share portfolio and create wealth

Investors have a wide selection of ASX bank shares to choose from, including ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares. To decide which is a good option, we should look at what the potential returns could be.

While there are similarities to National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), there are differences in terms of how much earnings comes from lending to households, business banking services and so on.

Let’s look at the predicted returns from analysts regarding ASX shares.

ANZ share price target

A price target tells investors where they think the share price will be in 12 months from the time of the investment call.

Obviously, a price target is not a guaranteed return (or decline), but it does indicate whether they think the business is overvalued or undervalued.

According to CMC Invest, there have been eight ratings on the business within the last three months, with three of those being a buy, four being a hold and one being a sell.

Of those eight ratings, the average price target is $35.66, which implies a possible decline of 6% over the next year.

The latest update from the ASX bank share was the third-quarter of FY26. Compared to the quarterly average of the first half of FY26, operating income grew 1%, operating expenses increased 2%, leading to profit before provisions being flat, and cash profit increased 1% to $1.9 billion.

A growth rate of 1% for cash profit is not exactly going to excite the market.

However, its loan growth was slightly faster, with net loans and advances increasing by 3% between March 2026 and June 2026, reaching $846 billion. Meanwhile, customer deposits rose 2% over the three months, with the balance reaching $786 billion at 30 June 2026.

With a $10,000 investment in ANZ shares, a decline of 6% would become approximately $9,400.

Potential dividends?

ASX bank shares like ANZ are known for their dividends, and the passive income is normally a sizeable amount.

According to CMC Invest, the business is projected to pay an amount that equates to a dividend yield of 4.5% excluding franking credits and approximately 5.9% with franking credits.

Therefore, the passive income may offset the potential capital decline, bringing the total investment return to around $10,000.

However, I’m not sure that investing for a flat return is an appealing option. If I were going to invest in an ASX share, I’d rather pick something I was more confident about the prospects for positive returns.

The post By September 2027, ANZ shares could turn $10,000 into… appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How much superannuation do I need to retire with a $50,000 annual passive income?
• ASX 200 bank shares led a financial sector rebound last week
• What’s driving the ASX 200 higher today?
• Australia’s economy just grew faster than expected. What does this mean for ASX shares?
• How Westpac, ANZ, NAB and CBA shares stacked up in August

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

After racing higher for much of 2026, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) has given back some ground.

The mining giant finished Friday at $62.25, down 2.4% for the session and 7.5% over the past week.

That leaves the stock nearly 10% below the $68.77 high it reached on 26 August.

Even after the recent weakness, BHP shares are still up around 37% in 2026 and almost 50% over the past 12 months.

So, after a quick pullback, is this a better time to buy?

What’s behind the pullback?

Some of last week’s weakness came from BHP trading ex-dividend on last Thursday.

The miner declared a final dividend of 99 US cents per share after its FY26 result, with payment due on 23 September. The shares fell 3.28% on Wednesday, another 1.35% on Thursday and 2.4% on Friday.

There is also a bit happening around BHP’s Western Australian iron ore business.

According to The Australian, China’s Baowu Steel Group has been linked with buying a 15% to 25% stake in the Jimblebar iron ore mine.

BHP has not confirmed anything, although it did leave the door open. The company said it has “a long history of partnerships at its assets” and regularly looks at options that could create long-term value for shareholders.

The reports have also caught the attention of politicians, with some raising concerns about a Chinese state-owned group taking a stake in one of Australia’s major iron ore assets.

The business still looks strong

The recent pullback in the share price doesn’t really change what I like about BHP.

The company still delivered a strong FY26 result, with underlying EBITDA of around US$33 billion and attributable profit of US$9.8 billion.

What interests me most is the growing contribution from copper. It made up more than half of underlying EBITDA for the first time, which is a pretty big shift in the earnings mix.

BHP is already one of the world’s largest copper producers, and management expects its project pipeline to lift production by around 40% by FY35.

This gives BHP more exposure to copper, which should benefit from growing investment in electrification, power grids and data centres.

Would I buy BHP shares?

This is where I would be a little careful.

The business is performing well, but the share price has already had a huge run and brokers aren’t exactly calling it cheap.

TipRanks shows an average 12-month price target of $59.17, around 5% below Friday’s close. Of the 15 recent ratings shown, 13 are holds, with one buy and one sell.

Morgan Stanley is more bullish, with a buy rating and $68 price target. Even so, that would only put the shares around 9% above their current level.

I like BHP as a long-term exposure to copper, but after a 37% rise this year, I’d prefer to wait for a slightly better entry point before buying.

The post This ASX 200 giant is up 37% in 2026. Is the pullback worth buying? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: Pro Medicus, BHP, CBA shares
• No savings at 30? Here’s how I’d aim to retire early with $1 million buying ASX shares
• What’s driving the ASX 200 higher today?
• 11 ASX 200 shares with reaffirmed buy ratings post-results
• Top 3 ASX 200 shares that lifted their dividend this reporting season

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.