Image source: The Motley Fool
Warren Buffett’s timeless investment wisdom might be more relevant than ever in 2025. With the FTSE 100 and S&P 500 reaching record highs, the temptation to chase ever-rising markets is seemingly escalating, putting investors potentially at risk of becoming too greedy.
So what are some crucial pieces of advice billionaire investor Buffett has given over the years that could help other investors thrive in today’s market climate?
Focus on fundamentals
When new industries emerge, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently taking the investing world by storm, with companies like Nvidia achieving enormous growth. However, with the way some AI stocks are being priced, the markets may be getting complacent, expecting everything to keep growing at current rates forever.
Chasing these opportunities could be a classic case of falling prey to the fear of missing out – something that Buffett has explicitly warned against. Instead, investors must keep their excitement in check, looking where others aren’t, and focusing on the underlying business, not the exciting story.
Buffett has often stated that “cash is always a bad investment”. He views large cash holdings as far worse compared to “the ownership of good businesses”. And yet, Berkshire Hathaway currently has around $350bn of it sitting on its balance sheet.
That’s because cash is still a critical tool. It provides flexibility to act when unique opportunities emerge, while granting protection from volatile market conditions. And both can be enormously advantageous when seeking to beat the market.
What I’m doing
With the markets reaching all-time highs, my portfolios have enjoyed some impressive double-digit gains since the start of 2025. Yet, I’m growing increasingly nervous that the markets aren’t reflecting the potential impact of rising geopolitical and trade tension risk.
That’s why I started following in Buffett’s footsteps and started building cash. But even in this market environment, there are still plenty of lucrative opportunities. So at the same time, I’ve also been exploring industries that investors are seemingly ignoring right now.
A hidden gem?
One business that’s caught my eye this month is Safestore Holdings (LSE:SAFE). The self-storage operator has had a rough ride since late 2022, losing more than half its market-cap. And this sharp drop isn’t entirely unjustified. Higher inflation and interest rates have handicapped economic growth, resulting in lower demand, lower occupancy, and a weaker pricing environment. However, signs of a rebound have already re-emerged.
Underlying occupancy and pricing are back on the rise, external tailwinds like home renovation have started heating up, and economic headwinds are slowly dissipating. And since management was able to continue investing and expanding during the downturn, Safestore seems nicely positioned to potentially outmanoeuvre and outperform its competitors both here in the UK and in its new European territories.
Those are all traits Buffett’s been known to look for. But there are still macroeconomic risks to watch closely, particularly with business customers, where demand for self-storage remains pretty weak. And should economic conditions sour again, Safestore shares could have further to fall.
Nevertheless, the company remains well capitalised and continues to generate impressive volumes of free cash flow, granting it continued flexibility to weather the storm. That’s why, despite the risks, I’m considering increasing my position in the stock.
