herd instincts: investors are constrained by appearance. A manager of a respectable financial institution will shun “fallen angels” so as to avoid appearing imprudent to his colleagues
forces wishing to keep a large company afloat are far greater than those that wish to see it perish
credit rating systems are flawed. It focuses on the past instead of the future. Ignore large fortune 500 companies in favor of ones with no credit standings to find a good deal.
The market which may be quick to digest earnings data was grossly inefficient in valuing everything.
Lessons from Solomon brother traders
I don’t pat myself in the back, because the next sensation is a sharp kick lower down
those who say don’t know, those who know don’t say
Despite the valuable lessons history can offer us, its shown that man does not learn any of these valuable lessons.
Benjamin Graham: The more elaborate the mathematics, the more uncertain and speculative the outcome. Avoid substituting experience with theory.
Key historic events:
1933 Glass Steagall act: separation of investment banking and retail banking
July 1944 Bretton wood systems: World currencies agree to a fix exchange rate against the USD, USD agree to fix exchange rate with Gold.
1971 Collapse of the Bretton Wood systems: US, faced with increasing pressure to maintain the USD gold exchange rates as its foreign reserves were depleted by a extended Vietnam war, went off the gold standard to prevent a run.
6th October 1979 The Volcker Act : money supply will be fixed, interest rates would float
12th Nov 1999: repeal of the Glass Steagall act: banks can now take use consumer deposits for investment purposes.
