📖David Swensen
Price vs Value Disconnect
Prices diverge from value short-term but converge long-term.
In the short run, the market is a voting machine; in the long run, it's a weighing machine. Prices can diverge wildly from value, but eventually converge.
🏠 Everyday Analogy
📖 Core Interpretation
In Price vs Value Disconnect, David Swensen focuses on the gap between price and value. Returns come from paying less than what a business is worth, not from guessing short-term market moves.
💎 Key Insight：The voting-to-weighing machine transition is inevitable.
AI Deep Analysis
Get personalized insights and practical guidance through AI conversation
❓ Why It Matters
Ignoring valuation turns even good companies into poor investments. Overpaying compresses future returns and leaves little margin when assumptions are wrong.
🎯 How to Practice
Estimate intrinsic value with conservative assumptions, set clear buy ranges, and act only when price offers a meaningful discount with acceptable downside.
⚠️ Common Pitfalls
Confusing a low price with true cheapness
Using one metric without business context
Overly optimistic assumptions that erase margin of safety
📚 Case Studies
1
Staying the Course in the Global Financial Crisis (2008)
Equities, REITs, and commodities plunged over 40% while Treasuries and high‑quality bonds rallied, severely testing diversified portfolios.
✨ Outcome：Maintained target allocations and rebalanced into falling assets, leading to strong gains as markets recovered over the following years.
2
Dot‑Com Bust and Diversified Equity Exposure (2000)
Tech and growth stocks collapsed after the late‑1990s bubble, while broad value, international, and small‑cap exposures fared better.
✨ Outcome：Avoided concentrated tech bets, kept diversified long‑term allocations, and benefited as non‑bubble equities and later markets recovered.
See how masters handle real scenarios?
30 real investment dilemmas answered by legendary investors
Explore Scenarios →