Professor Buffett Slows Down

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Warren Buffett has traditionally been known to discover and invest in undervalued firms with a lot of potential upside. However, today the famous investor appears to be taking a much safer approach to making money.

In recent months, instead of making big bets on risky firms with strong upside potential like BYD. At play, the investor has set his sights on larger, safer firms. If this is a sign of a new era of Buffett investing, investors looking to mirror the financier should be prepared to for slow, steady returns in the future.

Although the global economy appears to be on the heal, a number of issues continue to threaten the long-term stability of the market's rally. These various weaknesses have not only caught the attention of Professor Buffett, but a number of other prominent financiers including Bill Gross, George Soros, Jim Rogers and John Paulson.

Each individual has designed and shared his unique investment strategy with the public through personal buying and selling, market commentary or a combination of both. Whether it's by using gold, commodities, utilities or traditional fundamental analysis, each strategy strives to successfully prepare for future market conditions in an environment that has never before been experienced.

For Buffett, being successful in today's market is an issue of managing safety. During the downturn that left the vast majority of investors gasping for air, Buffett's portfolio was not spared. In fact, during the drop, he lost over $20 billion as well as his top position on Forbes' list of wealthiest people. Since taking the hit, the investor appears to have taken a note from the tortoise made famous in the fable, The Tortoise and the Hare, as his recent investments appear to be aimed at steady, albeit slow, positive performance.