'The Magic Formula' Joel Greenblatt Investing Strategy (2024)

In the realm of investing, it isn't extraordinary to discover masters that want to disclose their most recent disclosure, an enchantment equation for trading that will make you more extravagant than Warren Buffett; or a trading formula that will allow you to spend the rest of your life on an island.

Tragically, more often than not, the only thing that will change after studying this formula and all the financial statements is the amount in your bank account. Truth be told, 99% of the time you will simply lose time and a ton of cash following the expressions of a quack with no dependable history, that wins cash by selling average items.

If there is a magic formula to make more money thanWarren Buffett, then let us talk about the only sensible formula, i.e. 'The magic formula' investing strategy by Joel Greenblatt.

Who is Joel Greenblatt?

Joel Greenblatt, a hedge funds manager and teacher at Columbia University, presented the "magic formula" investing strategy in The Little Book That Beats the Market.

In 2010, a follow-up book titled, 'The Little Book That Still Beats the Market', was distributed with refreshed insights. Greenblatt additionally kept in touch with 'You Can Be a Stock Market Genius'.

He called the formula "magic" in the light of the fact that, as per his testing, the strategy averaged 24% returns every year between 1988–2009. On the off chance that you invested in anindex fundduring that period, the return would have been 9.55%. The percent difference turns out to be more observable when placed into dollar terms.

On the off chance that Rs 10,000 was invested at 24% and Rs 10,000 invested at 9.55% over that time span, the formula would have turned Rs 10,000 into simply over Rs 1 million, while the S&P 500 list would have transformed Rs 10,000 into just shy of Rs 5,000.

Greater returns matter, particularly over significant stretches, because of the intensity of compounding. Underneath, we take a gander at what the strategy is, the means by which to actualize it, just as whether the strategy satisfies Greenblatt's case.

Understanding the Magic Formula Investing Strategy

The formula depends on two principle measures, the stock price and the organization's cost of capital. It necessitates that you put resources into those organizations that own either an exceptional return on capital or ROC or high earning yield (a stock's earlier year's earnings per share divided by the current share price). The earning yield is the factor that shows whether the stock is selling at a decent price or not.

ROC is the ratio of pretax operating earnings (EBIT) to tangible capital employed (net working capital + net fixed capital). It is calculated;

ROC = EBIT / (net working capital + net fixed capital).

Enterprise value = Market value of all equity + net interest- debt.

Earning yield = EBIT/EV

For instance, if an organization's earnings are Rs. 0.50, and the stock is trading at Rs. 4/share, by dividing Rs. 0.50 by Rs. 4 you get an earnings yield of 12.5, which is pretty high.

At that point, the return on capital shows how well an organization can transform an interest in profit. In this manner, it is fundamentally the profit percentage, so if somebody invests Rs. 50,000 and acquires Rs. 2,500, their ROC would be 5%.

Three steps suggested by Joel Greenblatt:

1. Calculate the Earning yield and ROC of stock.

2. Rank the organizations as per the above two factors and combine them to find the best companies for investment.

3. Have patience andinvest for the long term.

How Magic Formulaworks?

Company Symbol

ROC Rank

EY Rank

CombinedRank

A

1

153

154

B

2

35

37

C

3

37

40

D

4

480

484

E

5

13

18

F

6

127

133

G

7

78

85

H

8

512

520

I

9

120

129

J

10

95

105

Step 1: Establish minimum market cap to get a list of all stocks that meet the criteria.

Step 2: Exclude utility and financial stocks.

Step 3: Exclude foreign companies.

Step 4: Determine the earnings yield of the companies.

Greenblatt uses EY to find how much a business earns relative to the purchase price of the business.

Earning yield = EBIT/EV

Step 5: Calculate ROC. Using EBIT allows investors to compare the operating earnings of different companies without the distortions resulting from differences in tax rates and debt levels.

ROC = EBIT/ (Net fixed assets + working capital).

Step 6: Rank all the stocks by highest-earning yields and highest ROC.

Step 7: Invest in 20-30 highest ranked companies. Do so by accumulating 2-3 positions per month over a 12-month period.

Magic formula investing recommends rebalancing portfolio once per year. Rebalancing sells losers one week before the year mark and winners, one week after.

The plus point of this strategy is tax efficiency. In actuality, the investors that use this technique will sell losing stocks before they have held them for 1year, and consequently, they will utilize the income tax provision that permits speculators to utilize losses to offer their profits.

Also, they will close the profitable activities after the one-year point. By doing so, they exploit decreased income tax rates on long term capital additions.

Purchase time and seasonality

The strategy recommends buying 2-3 stocks every month over the course of a year. This spreads out purchases and avoids buying all stock right before a big rise in the market.

Spreading purchases out is fine; however, another thought is to see how stocks will, in general, perform during the year—called seasonality. In view of market inclinations, throughout the most recent 20 years, January is ordinarily a poor month for stocks, and June–September likewise normally observes stocks decrease. All things considered, for that month.

Those who want to accumulate more stocks at once may wish to make more stock purchases toward the end of January or early February or June through the end of September, taking advantage of depressed prices.

Conclusion

To start with, it is instinctive. Investing by the Magic Formula criteria includes selecting outperforming organizations at below-average prices. These investment principles have demonstrated track records from proven investors, including Graham and Buffet.

Secondly, various discoveries and backtest information confirm that theinvestment strategyworks amazingly. These findings exhibit that the Magic formula produces returns that are approximately double market returns.

In closing, let us hope this article gave advice and insight about the Magic Formula investment strategy.

Investors looking to maximize their returns should have exposure to this type of strategy that can provide returns that outperform the market.

'The Magic Formula' Joel Greenblatt Investing Strategy (2024)

FAQs

Does magic formula investing actually work? ›

However, contrary to its name, there's nothing magical about the magic formula, and it may not always be the best strategy. Some market tests of the formula have found lower-than-expected returns, possibly due to changing market dynamics or the increased number of investors following Greenblatt's method.

What is the magic formula investing equation? ›

Determine company's earnings yield = EBIT / enterprise value. Determine company's return on capital = EBIT / (net fixed assets + working capital). Rank all companies above chosen market capitalization by highest earnings yield and highest return on capital (ranked as percentages).

What is the Greenblatt investment strategy? ›

The Magic Formula Strategy, popularized by Joel Greenblatt, involves ranking companies based on two key metrics: return on capital (ROIC) and earnings yield (EY). The Magic Formula works by selecting stocks that rank high in both earnings yield and return on capital.

What is the number 1 rule investing? ›

Warren Buffett once said, “The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule.

What does Dave Ramsey recommend to invest in? ›

Plain and simple, here's the Ramsey Solutions investing philosophy: Get out of debt and save up a fully funded emergency fund first. Invest 15% of your income in tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Invest in good growth stock mutual funds.

Does Greenblatt Magic Formula work? ›

In order to write and sell a book on the magic formula, Greenblatt had to show that it actually worked. He showed his readers very strong evidence that it did. Between 1988 and 2004, the magic formula delivered a compound average annual return of 30.8 per cent against 12.4 per cent for the S&P 500 index.

What stocks does Joel Greenblatt own? ›

In Joel Greenblatt's current portfolio as of 2024-03-31, the top 5 holdings are S&P 500 ETF TRUST ETF (SPY), Gotham Enhanced 500 ETF (GSPY), iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), NVIDIA Corp (NVDA), Apple Inc (AAPL), not including call and put options. Joel Greenblatt did not buy any new stocks in the current portfolio.

What is famous Magic Formula in stock market? ›

The Return on Invested Capital ratio is obtained by the following formula: EBIT/ (Net Fixed Assets + Working Capital). This ratio compares the earnings relative to the tangible assets. This ratio effectively calculates the return on the capital that is employed in the business instead of the return on total capital.

Is magic formula investing free? ›

The Magic Formula stocks are available for free in Joel Greenblatt's website, MagicFormulaInvesting.com.

What formula does Warren Buffett use? ›

The Rule of 72: Buffett often makes use of the Rule of 72, a straightforward formula to estimate the time required for an investment to double in value. This rule is determined by dividing 72 by the annual rate of return.

Is Joel Greenblatt a value investor? ›

He is a value investor, alumnus of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He runs Gotham Asset Management with his partner, Robert Goldstein.

How to become a millionaire by investing early? ›

Invest early and consistently

If you start putting away $300 a month beginning at age 25, assuming an 11% rate of return, you could be a millionaire by age 57. If you kept on investing and retire 10 years later, you'd be sitting pretty on a $3.2 million nest egg.

How does Warren Buffett choose investments? ›

Beyond his value-oriented style, Buffett is also known as a buy-and-hold investor. He is not interested in selling stock in the near term to reap quick profits, but chooses stocks that he believes offer solid prospects for long-term growth. His record as an investor speaks for itself. Bloomberg.

Which investment is the most predictable? ›

Income from the US saving bonds is one of the most predictable incomes because they are government bonds, and return is known at the time of investment. If the bond is deeply discounted, the difference between the issue price and redemption value is the return.

Does the miracle of compound interest really work? ›

When you're saving over the long term (typically for retirement), compound interest really comes into its own. Over decades, your total interest earned can make up the vast majority of your overall savings.

What is the famous magic formula in stocks? ›

Joel Greenblatt's magic formula for investing works on two principles – the current price of a stock and the parent company's net operational costs. It suggests you invest in the stocks of companies with extraordinary return on capital employed (ROCE) or high earnings yield.

Is fractional investing worth it? ›

They allow investors of all experience and income levels access to the broader stock market—making it worth buying fractional shares for many investors. Fractional shares have many other benefits as well—including the potential to maximize both DRIP and dollar-cost averaging.

What is famous magic formula in stock market? ›

Calculate the company's return on capital (EBIT/(net fixed assets + working capital)) Rank the selected companies by the highest earnings yield and the highest return on capital. Over the course of a year, invest in 2 or 3 positions, in the 20–30 highest ranked companies.

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