Howard Marks
Howard Marks🛡 Margin of Safety

Howard Marks's Margin of Safety Rules

Howard Stanley Marks (born April 23, 1946) is an American investor and writer. He is the co-founder and co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, one of the world's largest investors in distressed securities with over $150 billion in assets under management. Marks is renowned for his insightful memos to clients, which have been published since 1990 and are widely read in...

3 principles·Margin of Safety

3 Key Margin of Safety Principles

#1

Understanding Market Cycles

"Rule number one: most things will prove to be cyclical. Rule number two: some of the greatest opportunities for gain and loss come when other people forget rule number one."

Markets move in cycles; forgetting this is costly.

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#2

Market Pendulum at Extremes

"The mood swings of the securities markets resemble the movement of a pendulum. Although the midpoint of its arc best describes the location of the pendulum, it actually spends very little of its time there."

Markets spend most time at extremes, not at equilibrium.

🌿 Intermediate★★★★☆
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#3

Taking Market Temperature

"We can never know where we're going, but we'd better have a good idea of where we are. The ability to assess market temperature — whether it's hot or cold — is essential."

Assess where we are in the cycle, not where we're going.

🌿 Intermediate★★★★☆
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Frequently Asked Questions

What are Howard Marks's key margin of safety principles?

Howard Marks has 3 key principles on margin of safety. The most important one is "Understanding Market Cycles" — Rule number one: most things will prove to be cyclical.

How does Howard Marks apply margin of safety in practice?

Howard Marks applies margin of safety through several key principles including "Understanding Market Cycles" and "Market Pendulum at Extremes". These principles guide practical investment decisions and have been tested across decades of market cycles.

What makes Howard Marks's approach to margin of safety unique?

Howard Marks's approach to margin of safety is distinguished by a focus on long-term thinking and fundamental analysis. With 3 specific principles in this area, Howard Marks provides a comprehensive framework that investors at any level can study and apply to improve their decision-making.

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