A lot of people get mesmerized by the quick money they can make on the stock market. They are dazzled by so called gurus saying that they earned X thousands of dollars in a day. However, what these gurus fail to mention is that more often than not, they also lose the same amount of money in a day as well. But that doesn’t make that good of a story.
If you’re not a well prepared investor, the stock market can be akin to gambling. Sure, you may walk away from the casino a winner a few times, but the odds are against you for the long haul. That’s why, when you do decide to put money in the stock market, it should be a long term stock pick instead of these one off flyers you hope to make money from.
If you think the long term investment strategy (or better known as the buy and hold strategy)is old fashion, you’re entitled to your opinion. However, one of the biggest proponents of the buy and hold strategy is Warren Buffett and he has the biggest bank account to prove this strategy works.
Warren Buffetts stock picks works on the principle that you buy solid companies already equipped with a business moat around them that insolates them from competitors. While you might be able to get these companies for cheap due to market fluctuations, you might have to pay for quality. However, this is still worth it when you think for the long term and how these big companies can penetrate other developing countries due to trusted brand recognition. Therefore, it is best to buy and hold good companies than it is to trade and gamble with the likes of penny stocks.
But of course, there is a caveat to all this. A lot of people mistake the buy and hold strategy with going down with the ship if the company should sink. That’s not the case. You invest your hard earned money into a company based on a set of researched criteria of business strategies and expectations. Should the company management deviate from this, then you should evaluate if you should sell or not.
Therefore, the buy and hold strategy is not forever, you need to buy, hold, and monitor.
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Jul.16,2010
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