Topic: How To Invest

What is Pat’s commentary for the week of January 24, 2017

Article Excerpt

Dear Inner Circle member, All too often, investors search for certainty in their investment decisions. This can lead them to zero in on a single fact or indicator. This focus can pay off—for a while—if you are fortunate enough to zero in on the right fact or indicator. In investing, however, “facts” can turn out to be based on mistaken assumptions. Indicators based on these assumptions can seem to work for a while, then shift abruptly from useful to harmful. The markets of the 1990s produced some outstanding examples. In the early days of the 1990s Internet stock boom, many investors assumed that Internet pioneers were sure to produce huge gains for those who got in early. These investors figured that an early start would give pioneers an unbeatable competitive position. They overlooked the enormous capital investment that Internet growth attracted. This capital influx sped up the rate of technological advances. More important, it spurred the development of new business concepts. This…