Regardless of your ambitions as an investor, it doesn't hurt to learn lessons from investors with a long track record of success; Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A -0.09%) (BRK.B -0.18%) Warren Buffett, for instance. The chairman and CEO built what was a modest business nearly six decades ago into one of the largest on the planet.
It's not an accident that the stocks comprising Berkshire Hathaway's investment portfolio are some of the best companies on the planet. Buffett himself said that fortunes are built through buying and holding wonderful businesses for the long haul.
Let's take a closer look at two such stocks in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio that investors should consider buying this month.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
1. Visa
A growing percentage of the populace say they would prefer to pay for goods or services through a debit or credit card and no longer carry around cash. In the U.S. the figure is around 80% and a growing percentage of people around the world also want to make the switch. The payment infrastructure that Visa (V -0.62%) has created is helping make alternative payment options possible..
In the last four quarters alone, the payments processing company completed a staggering 237.8 billion transactions worth over $14 trillion. The fees it charges for the service helped Visa record $28.1 billion in revenue during that time, which was up 24% over the prior four quarters.
That growth rate shows no signs of slowing down either. Analysts from Boston Consulting Group estimate that total payments industry revenue will expand from $1.5 trillion in 2021 to nearly $3 trillion by 2030. Two powerful catalysts are fueling this growth and driving more consumers away from cash: Higher e-commerce spending and the convenience of card payments.
Analysts expect Visa's non-GAAP (adjusted) diluted earnings per share (EPS) will climb 18.2% annually through the next five years. This kind of sustained growth is what could make the stock a possible four-bagger by 2032.
Visa stock currently trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 23.7. Given the company's high growth prospects, the stock is trading at a reasonable price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 1.3. Visa's trailing-12-month price-to-free-cash-flow (P/FCF) ratio of 26.6 is also below its 10-year median of 30.2, which suggests the stock is a bargain, especially for a company whose fundamentals are arguably as strong as ever.
2. Coca-Cola
Everybody like a nice, refreshing beverage. Coca-Cola's (KO 0.79%) hundreds of brands, including Smartwater and Dasani bottled waters, Sprite, MinuteMaid, Powerade, and BodyArmor sports drinks, offer options for every type of consumer looking to quench their thirst.
The company's future seems to be bright for two reasons. First, as Coca-Cola continues to execute acquisitions (such as its complete buyout of BodyArmor last November) and launch new products, its already incredible beverage portfolio will only grow stronger. Second, the United Nations projects that the global population will reach 9.7 billion in 2050. This will translate into higher demand for beverages, which Coca-Cola is a prime candidate to provide. That's why analysts anticipate that Coca-Cola's adjusted diluted EPS will compound at 5.5% annually for the next five years.
The company's growth prospects are decent, but so too is Coca-Cola's 2.8% dividend yield, which is significantly higher than the S&P 500 index's average 1.6% yield. With the dividend payout ratio expected to be 71.5% in 2022, investors can rest assured that this Dividend King continues to generate the needed free cash flow to keep paying -- and keep raising -- its dividend for years to come.
Coca-Cola's forward P/E ratio of 23.8 isn't necessarily cheap. However, the stock isn't excessively valued either. Coca-Cola's trailing-12-month P/FCF ratio of 26.4 is only slightly above the 10-year median of 25.5. For a company with solid fundamentals, this valuation is arguably justified.
