I met with three inspiring gentlemen yesterday during tea time. Let's name them Mr G, Mr T and Mr Y. Mr G is 50 plus and in his retirement with some freelance jobs; Mr T is 40 plus in age and is working; Mr Y is in 60s, I guess, and a business owner. They all invest in stocks. I would say they are veteran. It was really inspiring.
They all practiced buy-and-hold strategy. Their profits are not talking of few percentage points, not even twenty, thirty or fifty percentage points. Their profits counts by how many times the share price appreciate. Of course, they choose their stocks very carefully. Quality and undervalued. If not, they would rather stay at side.
Market plunge is the best news to them. They would go in and shop like no one's business. Then they would wait patiently for the price to appreciate. They are willing to wait up to years. They do not look at the share price every day. They do not think it is necessary to look for trading tips and fancy strategies. Don't waste the brokerage fee.
I was mesmerized by the their trading history.
Mr G dis not speak much about his experience. But I know from Mr Y and Mr T that Mr G followed buy-and-hold strategy to get quite substantial of wealth.
Mr Y said in the 1997 bull run, the stock market was like a crazy bull. He said the limit-up used to be 30% each for the morning and afternoon sessions. So, a stock can hit limit-up in the morning, then hit limit-up in the afternoon; and again repeat in the second day. He bought a stock, to give face to his friend, sold it after three consecutive days of limit-up. People were getting richer day-by-day. However, he knows of many professionals went into bankrupt or back to square because of unintelligent trading. (Not investing, but trading.) Many bought overvalued stocks which eventually became worthless. He is patiently waiting for any market crash.That's the most exciting moment for him. He would wait for the market to waterfall until nobody dared to touch, then he would start accumulate those undervalued good stocks. Keep it for a long time, and sell it.
Mr Y shared his friend who dumped RM300,000 in banking shares, (I don't know which year), is now getting RM300,000 of dividends annually.
Mr T started to trade shares at his age of 18, in the year of 1992. That was a bull year till 1994. I asked how much can he had to trade at that young age. He said he trades his friends money, which RM50000 given by his family. So, they trade based on tips. It was easy that time. Their money grew to RM80000, then RM120,000. But when the market collapsed, it shrank to less than RM20,000. After that, he went to Australia to further study. That was the time he really studied what shares is. He would use the internet in university to learn things about shares. He learned about how fund manager value a shares; and their selection criteria.
At one time, he was so familiar with all the shares in Malaysia markets. he can memorize the details (the business, the boss etc) of each and every one of them. He also practiced buy-and-hold. Just pick the undervalued good stocks and keep until somebody has interest in them. He earn a lot from Malaysia stock market. He keep on stressing fancy trading strategy is unnecessary, what is needed is the ability to value the stock, to know the business and to know the credibility of the management. He said there are signs prior to a unhealthy business, exactly like there are signs when our body developed something wrong.
Mr T also shared their experience in the crazy bull during 1998, 2000 and 2007. He is mindful of the success and failure of "normal" investors. "Normal" investors will buy good stocks during minor bull and gradually switch to junk stock during the super bull, and eventually crash with them. He remembered so many success had turn to failure, and never heard again. He said whoever bought Public Bank in those years and hold it till now, would be far better off than anyone who jumps from one share to another.
During the Chinese New Year, I was reading The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham. I bought this book few years back. Now I read again and found I can better appreciate the investment philosophy anchored by Graham. I had a better understanding of how Warren Buffett has applied and benefited from this philosophy. How many time we had go against the very definition of investment as proposed by Graham? How many times we mistook speculation for investing?
As I wonder Warren Buffett may be the only one on earth who invest to his wealth; and as I think super investor like Cold Eye can have the ability to pick up undervalue stock; I was reminded, yesterday, there are successful investor around me who had been practicing value investing and earn their wealth.
Let's learn to be an intelligent investor.
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