Widely respected and admired, Philip Fisher is among the most influential investors of all time. His investment philosophies, introduced almost forty years ago, are not only studied and applied by today's finance professionals, but are also regarded by many as gospel. He recorded these philosophies in Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits, a book considered invaluable reading when it was first published in 1958, and a must read today.
'I sought out Philip Fisher after reading his Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits. When I met him, I was as impressed by the man as by his ideas. A thorough understanding of the business, obtained by using Phil's techniques enables one to make intelligent investment commitments.'
Warren Buffett
'Little known to the public, rarely interviewed and accepting few clients, Philip Fisher is nevertheless read and studied by most thoughtful investment professionals. Everyone will profit from pondering, as Warren Buffett has done, the investment principles Fisher espouses.'
James Michaels, Editor, Forbes
'Very thorough, but not for the dilettante.'
The Times
Part I: Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits
1. Clues from the past
2. What 'Scuttlebutt' can do
3. What to buy - the 15 points to look for in a common stock
4. What to buy - applying this to your own needs
5. When to buy
6. When to sell - and when not to
7. The Hullabaloo about Dividends
8. Five Don'ts for Investors
Don't buy into promotional companies
Don't ignore a good stock just because it is traded over the counter
Don't buy a stock just because you like the 'tone' of its annual report
Don't assume that the high price at which a stock is selling in relation to earnings is necessarily an indication that further growth in those earnings has largely been already discounted in the price
Don't quibble over eights and quarters
9. Five more don'ts for investors
Don't overstress diversification
Don't be afraid of buying on a war scare
Don't forget your Gilbert and Sullivan
Don't fail to consider time as well as price
Don't follow the crowd
10. How I go about finding a growth stock
Part II: Conservative Investors Sleep Well
1. The 1st Dimension: Production, Marketing, Research and Financial Skills
2. The 2nd Dimension: People
3. The 3rd Dimension: Investment Characteristics
4. The 4th Dimension: Price
Part III: Developing an Investment Philosophy
Origins of a Philosophy - Learning from Experience - The Philosophy Matures - Is the Market Efficient? - Key Factors in Evaluating Promising Firms