Definition
Circle of Competence
Sticking to businesses you can genuinely understand.
Circle of competence is Warren Buffett’s idea that investors should focus on businesses whose economics they truly understand, and honestly recognize where that understanding ends. The point isn’t how large your circle is but how clearly you know its edge. Market Lens approximates this with a Circle of Competence score based on how understandable a company’s sector and industry tend to be — a starting point for your own judgment, not a substitute for it.
Buffett’s investing criteria →
Related terms
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