(03-10-2010, 10:40 PM)Musicwhiz Wrote:(03-10-2010, 11:26 AM)yeokiwi Wrote: Stock picking is quite a good hobby and contrary to what people believe, it is not really that much of a hassle to gauge the fundamentals of the company.
Haha yeokiwi,
Well I view stock picking and selection as an intellectual exercise, and it's really very stimulating for the brain. Of course, the ultimate aim is to generate a decent return on investment, but if someone were to ask why I did not just stick to index investing, I would reply with what I said above.
And also, I disagree that it's not a hassle to gauge fundamentals. It takes quite a bit of digging and study to determine if a company is really worth investing in. Just my own perspective.
hi musicwhiz, agreed, stock picking matter
if the success of warren buffett and anthony bolton is any guide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Bolton
i re-think warren buffett's decision to take over Burlington Northern Railroad
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33599744/
initially i can't understand the idea as alternative transports such as cars / trucks / buses exists
only from this post did i realise that railroads and their operators are a natural monopoly and is more effective / cost effective than cars / trucks / buses for mass transport over long distances
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10...inst-rail/
with ETF, e.g. STI ETF i'd think u'd get a mixed bag of businesses, not sure if a strategy to pick the best companies out of STI etf would outperform STI etf and u'd get a good feel of the businesses u're investing in