Joel Greenblatt
Joel Greenblatt🛡 Margin of Safety

Joel Greenblatt's Margin of Safety Rules

Joel Greenblatt (born December 13, 1957) is an American investor, hedge fund manager, and author. He is the founder of Gotham Capital, which achieved annualized returns of approximately 40% from 1985 to 2006, and is a professor at Columbia Business School. Greenblatt is best known for developing the "Magic Formula" investing strategy, a systematic approach that ranks stocks based on...

3 principles·Margin of Safety

3 Key Margin of Safety Principles

#1

Market as Your Servant

"The market exists to serve you, not to guide you. Use market prices to your advantage — buy when the market offers bargains and sell when it offers premiums."

Use the market as your servant, not your guide.

🌱 Beginner★★★★★
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#2

Market Cycles Awareness

"Markets move in cycles driven by human emotion. Understanding where you are in the cycle helps you prepare for what comes next and position accordingly."

Understand where you are in the market cycle.

🌿 Intermediate★★★★★
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#3

Price vs Value Disconnect

"In the short run, the market is a voting machine; in the long run, it's a weighing machine. Prices can diverge wildly from value, but eventually converge."

Prices diverge from value short-term but converge long-term.

🌱 Beginner★★★★★
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Frequently Asked Questions

What are Joel Greenblatt's key margin of safety principles?

Joel Greenblatt has 3 key principles on margin of safety. The most important one is "Market as Your Servant" — The market exists to serve you, not to guide you.

How does Joel Greenblatt apply margin of safety in practice?

Joel Greenblatt applies margin of safety through several key principles including "Market as Your Servant" and "Market Cycles Awareness". These principles guide practical investment decisions and have been tested across decades of market cycles.

What makes Joel Greenblatt's approach to margin of safety unique?

Joel Greenblatt'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, Joel Greenblatt provides a comprehensive framework that investors at any level can study and apply to improve their decision-making.

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