• (0:30) - Berkshire Hathaway Buys Pilot Flying J

• (2:40) - 3 Lessons To Learn From Warren Buffett's Recent Interview

• (8:00) - Tracey's Top Stock Picks

• (15:45) - Episode Roundup: Podcast@Zacks.com

Welcome to Episode #62 of the Value Investor Podcast

Every week, Tracey Ryniec, the editor of Zacks Value Investor portfolio service, shares some of her top value investing tips and stock picks.

Warren Buffett was recently giving television interviews because Berkshire Hathaway bought a 38.6% stake in Pilot Flying J travel centers, which is the largest travel center company in North America, with 750 locations and 27,000 employees.

When you heard the news, you might have been thinking, “travel centers? That’s so boring.”

After all, this is a world filled with electric cars, 1-hour home delivery, ride-sharing, Airbnb, AI and social media.

What are the lessons value investors can learn from what Warren Buffett is buying?

3 Investing Lessons Learned from Warren Buffett

1.     Boring is beautiful. Sometimes the “ho-hum” companies are what turn out to be the cash-generating superstars. Take Pilot Flying J, for instance. It’s not just a travel center, but it also operates 279 restaurants making it the 10^th largest restaurant franchise in America.

2.    Buy companies that are profitable. Sounds simple, right? But many don’t do it.

3.    Buy building block companies. Buffett likes to buy companies that operate in the shadows that few people give a second thought to. Travel centers is one of those. A railroad is another.

Tracey thought about these lessons and then wondered, what stocks fit into these parameters right now?

There’s not really a screen for stocks Warren Buffett would like that are building block companies, profitable and boring.

But she did find 5 stocks that have Zacks Ranks of #1 (Strong  Buy), #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold) that fit into the parameters. Not all are classic value stocks, however, but they each fit into Buffett’s lessons.

5 Stocks That Are Buffett-Like

1.     Parker Hannifin PH has been in business 100 years. It makes motion, control and filtration systems. It’s forward P/E is 19.5 but it’s expected to see double digit earnings growth this fiscal year and next.

2.    Air Products & Chemical APD was founded in 1940. It provides atmospheric and process gases to customers in 50 countries. It has a 30 billion market cap and pays a dividend yielding 2.5%.