Warren Buffett Just Signalled His Next Big Move

Warren Buffett remained relatively quiet, that is until his recent purchase of five Japanese companies.

| More on:
close-up photo of investor Warren Buffett

Image source: The Motley Fool

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s premium investing services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn moresdf

After an incredibly quiet start to the year, it seems as though Warren Buffett has come out of hiding. The billionaire investor barely touched anything during the market crash back in March, yet lately it seems as though he has finally made some big decisions.

It all started with Warren Buffett buying into a natural gas company. This has many economists worried that Buffett would simply keep doing the same old thing. While tech companies and other industries were doing well, Buffett doubled down that oil and gas could rebound. Until recently.

Warren Buffett has made two huge moves that have investors re-thinking that the man could be losing it. I mean really, we should never have doubted him. Buffett first made a huge investment into general trading companies in Japan. The mega investor made a US$6 billion bet on five Japanese trading companies. The investment comes from the belief that these Japanese companies have immense value thanks to long-term structural improvements.

Then, Warren Buffet made news yet again on September 9 when he made a US$250 million bet on the initial public offering of a tech company. This is the biggest move he has every made in the tech industry, as Buffett historically waits to see how shares will play out before buying up a stock like this. However, for Snowflake Inc. he made an exception. The company provides cloud-based data storage. Given the world’s movement online, this is an excellent bet made by the investor.

But what about for the everyday investor? If you want to make moves like Warren Buffett, consider these two to add to your watch list.

Canadian Pacific

If you want general trading, then a safe and stable bet has to be Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (TSX:CP)(NYSE:CP). CP has provided years of steady growth after reinvesting in its infrastructure and making huge cost cuts. Now that the heavy lifting is over, investors have seen a steady stream of revenue from the company.

While sales and earnings per share are down for the year, it’s only been by about 1% and 2%, respectively. Economists predict that sales and earnings will be back to normal now that businesses are up and running again. As for shares, after a dip from the market crash, share prices are at all-time highs.

While this isn’t ideal for value investors, it’s great for those looking for steady and stable growth. In the last five years, the company has seen a return of 116% as of writing, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.67%.

Open Text

If you’re looking to get into cloud-based services, then I would highly consider Open Text Corp. (TSX:OTEX)(NASDAQ:OTEX) as your top choice. The company provides enterprise information management through its cloud services, and has been in growth mode in the last few years.

Open Text software manages content and data for large companies, companies such as Alphabet just to name drop. Companies like this are perfect for those looking to get in on cloud-based software. With companies big and small needing to find safe ways of managing data, Open Text provides the largest companies a secure method of doing just that.

Again, the company is trading near all-time highs, but those highs should continue to rise in the future. The company actually has decades of historical growth, providing investors with a stable background that other tech companies simply don’t have. And while CP may be down, this company is way up for earnings per share and sales.

Its EPS is currently up 245% year over year, with sales up 2.3%. Meanwhile, in the last five years the company saw a 171% return, and CAGR of 22%.

Bottom line

If you want to act like Warren Buffett, these are the perfect stocks to pick up. Both are perfectly situated to make a killing even if more market crashes come down the line. It’s no wonder that the Oracle of Omaha finally broke the silence for winners in these industries.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe owns shares of CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LIMITED. David Gardner owns shares of Alphabet (A shares). Tom Gardner owns shares of Alphabet (A shares). The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares). The Motley Fool recommends Open Text and OPEN TEXT CORP.

More on Coronavirus

little girl in pilot costume playing and dreaming of flying over the sky
Coronavirus

Air Canada Stock: How High Could it go?

AC stock is up 29% in the last six months alone, so should we expect more great things? Or is…

Read more »

eat food
Coronavirus

Goodfood Stock Doubles Within Days: Time to Buy?

Goodfood (TSX:FOOD) stock has surged 125% in the last few weeks, so what happened, and should investors hop back on…

Read more »

stock data
Tech Stocks

If I Could Only Buy 1 Stock Before 2023, This Would Be It

This stock is the one company that really doesn't deserve its ultra-low share price, so I'll definitely pick it up…

Read more »

Aircraft Mechanic checking jet engine of the airplane
Coronavirus

Air Canada Stock Fell 5% in November: Is it a Buy Today?

Air Canada (TSX:AC) stock saw remarkable improvements during its last quarter but still dropped 5% with more recession hints. So,…

Read more »

Airport and plane
Coronavirus

Is Air Canada Stock a Buy Today?

Airlines are on the rebound. Does Air Canada stock deserve to be on your buy list?

Read more »

A patient takes medicine out of a daily pill box.
Coronavirus

Retirees: 2 Healthcare Stocks That Could Help Set You up for Life

Healthcare stocks offer an incredible opportunity for growth for those investors who look to the right stocks, such as these…

Read more »

sad concerned deep in thought
Coronavirus

Here’s Why I Just Bought WELL Health Stock

WELL Health stock (TSX:WELL) may be a healthcare stock and a tech stock, but don't let that keep you from…

Read more »

healthcare pharma
Coronavirus

WELL Stock: The Safe Stock Investors Can’t Afford to Ignore

WELL stock (TSX:WELL) fell 68% from peak to trough, and yet there's no good reason as to why. So now…

Read more »