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Description of Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings

Updated features include a new Preface and Introduction from Kenneth L. Fisher 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. Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings reveals these timeless philosophies.

Title Information

ISBN:

9780471445500

Pages:

320 pages

Format:

Paperback

Product Code:

16231

Publisher:

John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Published:

19/09/2003

Press and Industry Reviews

"You will find lots of jewels in these pages that may do as much for you as they have for me."
- Kenneth L. Fisher

"I sought out Phil Fisher after reading his Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings. 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 W. Michaels former editor, Forbes

"My own copy [of Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings] has underlinings and marginal thoughts throughout."
- John Train author of Dance of the Money Bees

Reviews

• One of the books that most influenced Buffett as a young man setting out to learn about the craft of stock market investment. Elegantly written, it still reads well, despite being written nearly 50 years ago.
  R L Harvey

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About Philip A. Fisher

Philip A. Fisher began his career as a securities analyst in 1928 and founded Fisher & Company, an investment counseling business, in 1931. He is known as one of the pioneers of modern investment theory. Kenneth L. Fisher writes the "Portfolio Strategy" column for Forbes magazine and serves as Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Fisher Investments, Inc., a firm that manages financial assets for institutions and high-net-worth individuals around the world.

Contents of Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings

Preface: What I Learned from My Father's Writings (Kenneth L. Fisher)

Introduction by Kenneth L. Fisher

PART ONE: COMMON STOCKS AND UNCOMMON PROFITS

Preface

1. Clues from the Past
2. What "Scuttlebutt" Can Do
3. What to Buy:The Fifteen 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
9. Five More Don'ts for Investors
10. How I Go about Finding a Growth Stock
11. Summary and Conclusion


PART TWO: CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS SLEEP WELL

Epigraph
Introduction

1. The First Dimension of a Conservative Investment
2. The Second Dimension
3. The Third Dimension
4. The Fourth Dimension
5. More about the Fourth Dimension
6. Still More about the Fourth Dimension


PART THREE: DEVELOPING AN INVESTMENT PHILOSOPHY

Dedication to Frank E. Block

1. 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
A Foundation Is Formed

2. Learning from Experience
Food Machinery as an Investment Opportunity
Zigging and Zagging
Contrary, but Correct
Patience and Performance
To Every Rule,There Are Exceptions . . . But Not Many
An Experiment with Market Timing
Reaching for Price, Foregoing Opportunity

3. The Philosophy Matures
E Pluribus Unum
History versus Opportunity
Lessons from the Vintage Years
Do Few Things Well
Stay or Sell in Anticipation of Possible Market Downturns?
In and Out May Be Out of the Money
The Long Shadow of Dividends

4. Is the Market Efficient?
The Fallacy of the Efficient Market
The Raychem Corporation
Raychem, Dashed Expectations, and the Crash
Raychem and the Efficient Market
Conclusion

Appendix: Key Factors in Evaluating Promising Firms
Functional Factors
People Factors
Business Characteristics
Index