📖Peter Lynch

Slow Growers

🌿 Intermediate★★★★★

Slow growers pay dividends because they have no better use for their cash — own them for income, not growth.

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Slow growers are large and aging companies that are expected to grow slightly faster than GDP.

— *One Up On Wall Street*，1989

🏠 Everyday Analogy

Just like the old ox at home, though it can no longer run fast, it still produces milk every day. Slow-growth companies are the old ox of the stock market. Though their business growth is not rapid, they consistently pay dividends to shareholders year after year, serving as a reliable source of steady income.

📖 Core Interpretation

Large, mature companies with growth rates close to GDP typically distribute substantial dividends.
💎 Key Insight：Large, mature companies growing at 2-4% annually are past their prime. They generate steady cash but lack reinvestment opportunities. Lynch says the main reason to own slow growers is their dividends. Check whether the dividend is being paid consistently and whether the payout ratio is sustainable. If dividend growth stalls, there is little reason to hold on.

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❓ Why It Matters

The growth potential of such companies is limited, and they primarily return value to shareholders through dividends.

🎯 How to Practice

Focus on dividend yield and dividend growth history, suitable for investors seeking stable income.

🎙️ Master's Voice

The typical big winner in the Lynch portfolio generally takes three to ten years or more to play out.
Lynch held his best investments for years. His 10-baggers did not happen overnight—they required patience through multiple cycles.

⚔️ Practical Guide

✅ Decision Checklist

  • Am I willing to wait 3-10 years?
  • Do I have patience for big winners?
  • Am I thinking long-term?

📋 Action Steps

  1. Set multi-year time horizons
  2. Be patient with good companies
  3. Wait for the story to unfold

🚨 Warning Signs

  • Selling winners too early
  • Impatience
  • Short-term focus

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

✕Do not anticipate significant capital appreciation.
✕Industry downturns may lead to dividend cuts.

📚 Case Studies

1
Coca-Cola Post-Recession Recovery (1982)
After the 1981–82 recession, Coca-Cola’s earnings and dividend grew slowly but steadily, matching Lynch’s ‘slow grower’ profile.
✨ Outcome：Long-term holders saw large capital gains and rising dividends as the company compounded steadily through the 1980s and 1990s.
2
Procter & Gamble Dividend Compounder (1991)
P&G, a classic consumer staple, raised its dividend yearly while earnings grew mid-single digits, reflecting a mature, slow-growing franchise.
✨ Outcome：Investors who reinvested dividends enjoyed strong total returns over decades despite the stock rarely being ‘exciting’ in any single year.

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