📖Philip Fisher

Growth at Reasonable Price

🌿 Intermediate★★★★★

Value a stock by its future earnings growth potential.

💬

The true measure of a stock's value is not its price-to-earnings ratio today, but its earnings growth potential over the next five to ten years.

— 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 Growth at Reasonable Price, 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:Growth potential matters more than current metrics.

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
Holding Johnson & Johnson Through Crises (1990)
Long-term holder owns J&J for its diversified healthcare portfolio and strong management, per Fisher’s criteria.
✨ Outcome:Despite lawsuits, recalls, and market crashes, the stock compounds steadily over decades, validating the hold-forever philosophy focused on quality and innovation.
2
Motorola’s Early Growth (1955)
Fisher invested in Motorola when it was still a small electronics company, recognizing its R&D strength and management quality.
✨ Outcome:Held for decades as it became a major industrial and tech leader, compounding capital at very high rates.

See how masters handle real scenarios?

30 real investment dilemmas answered by legendary investors

Explore Scenarios →