CHAMPION RACEHORSES all wear blinders, small pieces of hardened leather designed to restrict peripheral vision. The devices keep the thoroughbreds focused on the track ahead and nothing else. It’s a good lesson for investors, who too could use blinders considering the sheer volume of investment information available, from Web sites to newsletters to cable TV. We aren’t just informed; we’re suffocating. Due diligence turns into information overload quickly.
Much of what goes for research these days, so many of the data points that investors consider, is nothing more than superstition and coincidence packaged into feature-length column inches. I’m sorry, but the fact that it’s an election year, or that John Chambers thinks the economy is improving, or that New England won the Super Bowl has nothing to do with what’s actually happening in the market. And because it’s easy to get distracted, most people end up focusing their attention on the irrelevant factors they can’t control, and which have no direct bearing on the market or their position in it.
So while many investors weigh thousands of variables in evaluating the market, I consider a select few. To the best of my ability, I wear blinders, ignoring all the white noise and focusing on what matters. While I’m not always right in my decisions, I’m always well informed. (more…)
