common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

In Developing an Investment Philosophy the author writes about Origins of a Philosophy, The Birth of Interest, Formative Experiences, First Lessons in the School of Experience, Building the Basics, The Great Bear Market, A Chance to Do My Thing, From Disaster, Opportunity Springs Foundation Is Formed, Learning from Experience, Food Machinery as an Investment Opportunity, Zigging and Zagging, Contrary, but Correct Patience and Performance, To Every Rule, There Are Exceptions. In part two or Conservative Investors sleep well, Fisher discusses The First Dimension of a Conservative Investment, The Second Dimension, The Third Dimension, The Fourth Dimension, More about the Fourth Dimension, Still and More about the Fourth Dimension In part one titled Common Stocks Uncommon Profits, Fisher includes chapters on Clues from the Past, What “Scuttlebutt” Can Do, What to Buy: The Fifteen Points to Look for in a Common Stock, What to Buy: Applying This to Your Own Needs, When to Buy, When to Sell: And When Not To, The Hullabaloo about Dividends, Five Don’ts for Investors, Five More Don’ts for Investors, and How I Go about Finding a Growth Stock “I sought out Phil Fisher after reading his Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits…A thorough understanding of the business, obtained by using Phil’s techniques…enables one to make intelligent investment commitments.” -Warren BuffetĬommon Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings has a foreword and preface by Fisher’s equally successful son Ken Fisher.

He felt that a business must be studied in depth before its stock is picked or not pick it at all. His investment philosophy was not unlike an art form. Motorola and Texas instruments were some of his picks. He chose his stocks carefully and held them in long positions. Fischer chose to invest in companies that were known for their innovation. His investments though were hardly traditional. His client list was carefully picked and he was a very private man.

Post another short stint at a stock firm, he started his own Fischer and company where he worked till the ripe old age of 91.

He dropped out of Stanford to get his ‘education’ at the Anglo London Bank as an analyst. The successful investor is usually an individual who is inherently interested in business problems. Investors have been so oversold on diversification that fear of having too many eggs in one basket has caused them to put far too little into companies they thoroughly know and far too much in others which they know nothing about.

Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings