원문 보기
Hello, my name is Peter Lint. For 13 years I led the Fidelity Medal Fund, an experience that taught me great lessons. Over those years I saw the market go through drops of 10% or more, but with consistency the fund remained strong. I learned valuable lessons that I believe are still valid today and will continue to be 20 years from now, and I can guarantee you have the potential to become a better investor than you imagine.
Investing isn't something you learn overnight, but you already possess skills that you often don't even realize, and best of all, you have advantages that the big Wall Street investors simply don't have. Before starting your journey, ask yourself when you will need this money. The stock market requires a long-term vision.
If you plan to use the money in the near future, this is not the ideal path. Invest with money you won't need for a long time – 5, 10, 20 years. Only then will you be able to ride the market fluctuations without despairing. The market is volatile, and individual stocks even more so. The average fluctuation of a stock over time...
One year represents 50% of the difference between its maximum and minimum value. If you plan to invest for the short term, you should reconsider. Avoid entering the market with the intention of making quick profits. The best stocks I've had in my portfolio, like Chrysler, took 5 to 7 years to show their true return.
The secret is to give it time; allow your investments to mature and grow. When it comes to selling a stock, the question isn't when to sell, but rather which story is more compelling. If you have a stock in your portfolio but find a better opportunity, replace it. What matters is the company's potential and its future.
Don't cling to a stock out of mere loyalty, like in a game. If you're in multiple rounds, you should only play the ones with the highest chances of success. But remember, good stories can take time to materialize, so let time be your ally and wait to see how they develop. You have an immense advantage that few investors possess: experience in your own field—the place you work, the neighborhood where you live, the products you consume—all of this can be a rich source of knowledge about companies you know well.
For example, if you're a mechanic, you know... Which tools are most effective and which offers the best cost-benefit ratio? This can help you identify companies that are on the right track. If you are a doctor, you know what works best in terms of equipment, technologies, and systems that reduce costs.
These local advantages can be a springboard for good investments. The amateur investor can easily follow five to eight companies and become an expert on them. You don't need to know everything about every stock; get to know in depth those that really interest you. The market is vast, with more than 13,000 companies listed on stock exchanges, both in the US and worldwide, and this can seem overwhelming.
Therefore, divide the stocks into categories to facilitate your research. There are several categories that can help you organize your research: fast growth - companies that are expanding strongly; slow growth - mature companies with stable but slower growth; cyclical - companies that depend on economic cycles; asset plays - those investments based on the revaluation of asset values; turnarounds - companies that are undergoing a recovery.
These categories are not rigid rules but guidelines that help you direct your focus, and remember, companies can change categories according to their cycle. The secret to life is recognizing these changes and acting in time. There's no magic formula. The price of a stock usually follows a company's profits.
When a company significantly increases its profits, the stock tends to rise proportionally. Investing is a personal act; you must make your decisions alone and with confidence, not with the help of a committee. This requires emotional strength, patience, and above all, a strong stomach. The real test is not your technical knowledge, but your ability to handle market volatility and crashes during times of crisis.
You need to ask yourself: am I capable of enduring this? Do I have the necessary patience to wait for recovery? The stock market is full of opportunities, but you need to be prepared to stand firm. Don't let anxiety take over. Investing is a marathon, not a 100-meter sprint, and you have the necessary skills to win this journey.
So have confidence, do your research, prepare yourself, and be willing to move forward. The stock market is vast, but with patience, strategy, and knowledge, you will be able to seize the best opportunities.
Comments 0