Berkshire's book value per share has grown at a compounded annual rate of more than 20% over the past 40 calendar years.
The Warren Buffett Way: Investment Strategies of the World's Greatest Investor
From Feb. 13, 1995, through Jan. 17, 2008, the screen had an annualized return of 14.9%, vs. 8.2% for the S&P 500. In 2007, the screen stocks gained 15.7%, vs. 3.5% for the S&P 500. (All results reflect price appreciation only.)
The full criteria for this screen:
1. Owner earnings (cash flow less capital expenditures) above $50 million (changed in February, 2006, from $20 million)
2. Net margins of at least 15% for the trailing 12 months
3. Return on equity of at least 15% the previous quarter and in every year for the last three years
4. Retained earnings that have grown less than the market capitalization, on an absolute basis, in the last five years
5. Looking five years into the future, projected cash flow per share greater than the current market price for each stock (discounted to the present using the 30-year Treasury yield); this helps remove overpriced stocks from the list
6. Market capitalization of $500 million or more