📖Peter Lynch

Six Categories of Stocks

🌿 Intermediate★★★★★

Classify every stock into one of six categories before buying so you know what to expect from it.

💬

I've developed my own system for categorizing stocks into six categories.

— *One Up On Wall Street*，1989

🏠 Everyday Analogy

Just as people can be introverted or extroverted, quick-tempered or easygoing, stocks also have six distinct personalities: some are steady and slow like tortoises, some are active and fast like rabbits, some change with the seasons like migratory birds, some rise from the ashes like phoenixes, and others are unassuming yet profound like the hidden masters who sweep temple floors. Understanding the personality of each stock is key to selecting the right investment strategy.

📖 Core Interpretation

Stocks can be categorized into six types: slow growers, stalwarts, fast growers, cyclicals, turnarounds, and asset plays.
💎 Key Insight：Lynch divides stocks into slow growers, stalwarts, fast growers, cyclicals, turnarounds, and asset plays. Each category has different risk profiles, return expectations, and selling rules. Misclassifying a stock leads to wrong expectations — holding a cyclical like a stalwart or selling a fast grower too early. Know the category first, then apply the right playbook.

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❓ Why It Matters

Different types of stocks require distinct analytical approaches and return expectations.

🎯 How to Practice

First, determine which category the stock belongs to, then analyze it using the corresponding method.

🎙️ Master's Voice

The key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.
Lynch held through multiple market crashes during his tenure. Those who panicked missed recoveries; those who held prospered.

⚔️ Practical Guide

✅ Decision Checklist

  • Am I easily scared out of positions?
  • Can I hold through volatility?
  • Will I panic in the next crash?

📋 Action Steps

  1. Prepare mentally for crashes
  2. Have a plan for downturns
  3. Stay invested through fear

🚨 Warning Signs

  • Panic selling
  • Easily spooked
  • No plan for crashes

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

✕Some companies may simultaneously exhibit multiple characteristics.
✕Company types evolve over time.

📚 Case Studies

1
Growth Stock – Walmart Expansion (1983)
Rapid store expansion across the U.S. drove sales and earnings growth far above market averages, fitting Lynch’s ‘fast grower’ category.
✨ Outcome：Early investors who held through volatility saw multibagger returns over the decade.
2
Stalwart Stock – Coca‑Cola Resilience (1991)
Despite recession fears and market volatility, Coca‑Cola’s steady global demand and strong brand supported predictable earnings, a typical ‘stalwart’.
✨ Outcome：Long‑term holders enjoyed consistent dividends and capital appreciation with lower downside than the market.

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