📖Jeremy Grantham

Value Discipline

🌿 Intermediate★★★★★

Discipline in valuation determines investment success.

💬

Never overpay for a security, no matter how exciting the story. The price you pay determines your return. Discipline in valuation is the foundation of investment success.

— GMO Quarterly Letters,2017

🏠 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 Value Discipline, Jeremy Grantham 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 price paid is the most important variable.

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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
Pre-Global Financial Crisis Caution (2007)
Grantham warned of a broad asset bubble, cutting exposure to risk assets and tilting toward quality stocks, cash, and selected safe bonds.
✨ Outcome:Portfolios following his asset allocation shift experienced materially lower losses during 2008–2009 and preserved capital for post-crisis rebalancing.
2
Pre‑Crisis Housing and Credit Bubble (2007)
Grantham highlighted extreme overvaluation in housing, credit, and equities, cutting risk assets and raising quality and cash.
✨ Outcome:The 2008–2009 crash validated his forecast; defensive positioning preserved capital and enabled cheaper re‑entry afterward.

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