📖Philip Fisher

The Crowd Is Usually Wrong

🌿 Intermediate★★★★☆

Don't follow the crowd in stock selection.

💬

The stock market is filled with individuals who know the price of everything but the value of nothing. Following the crowd leads to mediocre results.

— Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits,1958

🏠 Everyday Analogy

Valuation is like buying a house: the asking price reflects mood, but true value comes from structure, location, and long-term utility. Good assets still need sensible prices.

📖 Core Interpretation

In The Crowd Is Usually Wrong, Philip Fisher 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:Independent thinking outperforms herd mentality.

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❓ 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
Texas Instruments Expansion (1960)
Fisher bought Texas Instruments as it pioneered semiconductors and electronic components, focusing on technological leadership and market potential.
✨ Outcome:Long-term holding generated substantial capital appreciation as TI emerged as a key global semiconductor company.
2
Motorola Competitive Erosion (1965)
Fisher favorite Motorola faces rising Japanese and U.S. competitors in semiconductors and consumer electronics, compressing margins and weakening its technological edge.
✨ Outcome:Applying “three reasons to sell,” an investor trims the position as its leadership wanes, reallocating to stronger growth franchises.

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