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Thursday, March 6, 2008

Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits

by Philip A. Fisher

Before buying the stock of a company, check the followings :
  1. Does the company currently have the potential of several years' sales growth?
  2. Is the company likely to produce new products and processes in the future?
  3. Is the R&D department effective, given the company size?
  4. Does the company have an above average sales organization?
  5. Does the company have a worthwhile profit margin?
  6. What is the company doing to maintain or improve profit margins?
  7. Does the company have outstanding labour and personal relations?
  8. Does the company have outstanding executive relations?
  9. Does the company have depth to its management?
  10. How good are the company cost analysis and accounting controls?
  11. Are there other aspects of the business­ which will give the investor important clues as to how outstanding the company may be in relation to its competition?
  12. Is the company short-termist or long-termist?
  13. Will there be equity financing in the near future that will damage the stockholders' interests?
  14. Do managers talk freely to investors when all is well but clam up when there is trouble?
  15. Does the management have integrity?


The List of Don'ts

  1. Don't buy into promotional companies.
  2. Don't ignore a good stock just because it is traded over the counter.
  3. Don't buy a stock just because you like the tone of the annual report.
  4. Don't assume that a high price at which a stock may be selling in relation to earnings is necessarily an indication that further growth in those earnings has largely been discounted in the price.
  5. Don't quibble over eights and quarters.
  6. Don't overstress diversification.
  7. Don't be afraid to buy on a war scare.
  8. Don't forget your Gilbert and Sullivan. Growth stocks may change rapidly and historical price movements and EPS will give no hints of such changes before they occur.
  9. Don't fail to consider time as well as price in buying a true growth stock.
  10. Don't follow the crowd.

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