BIBLIOPHILE: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING BY HOWARD MARKS “HAVING A SENSE FOR WHERE WE STAND”

01 WWS

Some category of people does not accept that cycle is unpredictable and largely unknowable, and those people put efforts for predicting the future. Few people ignore the cycle and adopt the buy & hold approach. They do not get aggressive or defensive with their investments in the cycle. Many people have wrongly understood the statement of Mr. Warren Buffett – “Our favorite holding period is forever.”

And the last category which is an appropriate approach for the investment. Such category of people accepts that cycle will occur. Everything moves in a cycle. Fundamental, psychology, prices, etc all moves in a cycle. We cannot able to know when existing trend will go, get the stop and start getting reversed. But we need to be confident enough that trend will stop sooner or later. No trend continuously keeps on going forever.

So that we should try to know where we are standing in the cycle rather than to predict timing and extension of the cycle.

02 WWS

By knowing where we are standing at the cycle, we cannot able to know what will be going to happen in the coming future. But we can prepare ourselves with a probability of occurrence of events.

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. – Jimmy Dean

Knowing present environment is not much hard compared to knowing future. We can come to know the present environment by observing the behaviour of participants around us, by observing our surrounding environment.

We have to focus on everyday events prevailing to the market. Such events provide us a rough idea of our position at the cycle.

Liquidity

SENSEX TGT

When everyone is aggressive in buying a particular asset then we must have to take care and be aware of the upcoming risk. We should be aggressive in buying a particular asset while everyone is in panic and selling particular assets.

“Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy and Greedy When Others Are Fearful” ― Warren Buffett

We have to look around and think it by ourselves regarding present situations and make a decision that where we are standing in the cycle. What is market participants doing? What media is talking? Such questions need to be answered by looking at situations around us.

SENSEX 2024-2030

Liquidity 2017

03 WWS

When too much money getting deployed into few assets then huge liquidity drives prices of an asset, such price momentum is not due to its actual fundamental. And also at the higher valuation people are ready to buy an asset aggressively. People are ready to buy Rs.100 worth of asset at Rs.200-300-400…. With the bright future expectations.

We cannot predict when huge liquidity gets dry but as a contrarian investor, we can prepare ourselves for upcoming risk.

04 WWS

05 WWS

We need to check which side majority of our answers falls and as per it, we can make an estimation of the present situation. And can able to prepare ourselves for the situations. When a majority of our answers falls at the happy situation then we have to be cautious towards the present scenario and vice-versa.

06 WWS

Read for more detail: The Most Important Thing Illuminated by Howard Marks

BIBLIOPHILE: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING BY HOWARD MARKS “KNOWING WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW”

01 KWDW

When we concentrate on the small part of the things then we acquire more knowledge regarding particular aspects. We need to work harder and harder to develop our skills by which we can able to know more than another person. Enhancing knowledge will be work like an edge for us to knowing our positions better than others.

Also, we try to identify that where we currently stand, what’s our actual position so that we can prepare ourselves for the further development.

When we predict upcoming changes then we can able to earn money from participating in that changes. But if we have predicted something which is not going to change then it will be near to impossible to earn money. If things do not go to change then we cannot able to earn money by taking benefits of those changes.

It’s very difficult to forecast future and people generally forecast future with regard to what has happened in the past.

So that forecast can get right some of the time but it should be consistent in the getting right every time which can be very difficult.

Some of the people stick to always bullish or always bearish view and keep that view for a longer period. So that sometimes they get right with their forecast. It does not mean that their forecast will be right all the time. If you toss coin 100 times then there are a half of the possibilities to get the head of the coin. We cannot say such outcomes as a consistent outcome.

02 KWDW

We have to check that how many forecasters have predicted meltdown of subprime crisis or again boom was driven due to huge domestic liquidity currently.

Forecasters are called as “I know” school of investors. They are more confident about the future and the things will work out as per their assumptions.

“I don’t know” group of people can able to guard themselves while they have to deal with the future at the macro level.

03 KWDW

We never want to invest for the future which is largely unknowable and on the other hand, we need to face unforeseen future without forecasting the future.

The biggest problems arise when we forget the difference between probability and outcomes. We cannot surely know the occurrence of future events but we can know the probability of the occurrence of the events. When we forget the difference between probability and outcomes then we start predicting future events with surety.

04 KWDW

Investors who ignored such limitations then they make mistakes in their portfolio and also incurred huge losses. Events do not always occur as per our assumptions and we have to be ready for it.

When we do not know the future then we act in a different manner such as we diversify, hedge to the position, taking less leverage, focus on today’s value over a future growth, etc. On the other hand, while we feel that we know the future or future event will occur as per our assumption then we start taking more risk, taking more leverage, play on making an assumption of bright future. If we know the future then we play an aggressive game. We not take a diversification and take a huge leverage.

When we know that there will be no obstacle comes to our way while we are driving then speed, carelessness will increase. And on the other hand, when we know that our way is clear but any obstacle can come on the road anytime then we drive the vehicle more carefully with a speed which we can able to control. Similarly with the investment, when we believe that future is knowable then we behave for investment in a different way and when we believe that future is unknowable then also we behave for investment in a different way.

As the road is clear while we are driving but anytime any vehicle can come to that road and we can able to meet an accident if we do not have a control over our driving. Similarly, if we do not have a control over our investment then any unforeseen event can destroy our wealth. We need to wear a helmet while driving for controlling risk and also take proactive steps while making an investment for guard ourselves against unforeseen accident.

05 KWDW

Read for more detail: The Most Important Thing Illuminated by Howard Marks

BIBLIOPHILE: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING BY HOWARD MARKS “PATIENT OPPORTUNISM”

01 PO

We bought an investment in a panic and sell it at the boom. Such an opportunities, we get during the market cycle. But sometimes being inactive and wait for the opportunity works better in an investment.

02 PO

We bought an investment in a panic and sell it at the boom. Such an opportunities, we get during the market cycle. But sometimes being inactive and wait for the opportunity works better in an investment. We should not be going for chasing an investment rather we should wait for investment opportunities to come to us. When we are chasing an investment then it might happen that we might not get an opportunity at a bargain. We only get bargain where the seller is motivated to sell and such opportunities provide us a bargain.

Every time a great bargain will not be available, cycle – pendulum not at an extreme where we can go against it. Many a time, Market situations are balanced and fairly priced. In that case, we have to make an investment decision from what is available to us.

03 PO

In cricket, we do not try to hit each and every ball. We try to identify proper pitch to hit and till that opportunities, we just need to wait for a proper pitch or just keeps on rotating strikes.

Same with the investment, we should always wait for the proper pitch which is in our competence area and then needs to hit on it.

04 PO

In investing, the penalty is the loss of our capital. And if we try to eliminate such possibilities of getting penalized then, of course, we only remain with the rewarding investment opportunities. But many a time, we also need to miss some winning opportunities for getting our perfect pitch. And that can be bearable compared to the penalty of losing our capital. Staying on the pitch is more important compared to sitting at the stadium and seeing dreams of playing well for winning the match.

05 PO

We should wait for the profit-making opportunities with the control on risk. If we lost our focus on protecting our capital then huge waiting period and higher returns also might not be able to provide us above average returns.

Many a time, we get lucrative profit-making opportunities but for getting those opportunities, we need to take a higher risk and sometimes, we do not even know that we are taking a higher risk.

Generally, people shift towards higher risk investments while they do not get desire returns from the safer investments.

Indian

Before the credit crisis occurs, people tend to take borrowing at a cheaper cost and make an investment into the high return opportunities with the belief of low risk.

06 PO

When prices are keeps on going higher and higher than, we cannot refuse to have a lower returns with the higher risk. Mr.Howard Marks mentioned few aspects while lower returns environments exist.

07 PO

There is no easy way to cope up with such situations. One major mistake people make is reaching for the returns and forgetting the risk. Always seeing dreams for making a century in every match and forget the risk of losing a wicket before hitting a century.

When there is a low return environment then we need an exceptional skill, high risk bearing capabilities and huge luck for generating higher returns.

The major opportunities for buying an investment comes where the holder of an asset are forced to sell it. Such situations create a bargain opportunities for us. When baller is frustrated and then only there will be a chance of occurring a mistake by him and that creates an opportunity for a batsman to hit six. But for hitting a six, we need to protect our wicket and need to stay on the pitch. We get a good opportunity to make a good score when baller is frustrated and throwing lousy balls; not when he is sharply bowling and chance to lose our wicket is higher. Or batsman is frustrated and want to make score then he will lose his wicket. Similarly with the investment; we do not get good investment returns while we are frustrated and want to make an investment or all our friends are earning & we have missed out opportunities. We get good investment returns while all are negative or frustrated and we have the capability to capture the opportunity.

08 PO

Sometimes question raised in our mind that seller can be well informed and rational also then why he sell something at the bargain price?

09 PO

When forced sellers come to sell their assets then market requires a liquidity to buy assets at a bargain price. So that the person who is waiting for an opportunity those only can capture such opportunities.

10 PO

Read for more detail: The Most Important Thing Illuminated by Howard Marks

BIBLIOPHILE: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING BY HOWARD MARKS “FINDING BARGAINS”

01 FB

02 FB

In all the previous articles of the series, I discussed buying a cheaper assets / Investment. But buying cheap does not mean that we should go and buy anything which seems cheaper.

We need to prepare a list of investment ideas which are matches with our criteria, matches with our risk tolerance capabilities and exclude which are not matching with our criteria. There are not each and every idea which are compatible with our risk appetite, we need to work on the ideas which fall under our circle of competence. We get many ideas which can be good but not compatible with our criterion then we need to stay away from it.

Before eating a food, we need to know which kind of food we really like to eat. We do not like each and every food so as similar to it, we need to prepare a list of ideas which match with our criterion.

If we are managing the fund of others, then not only our risk appetite but also risk appetite of clients, we need to focus.

03 FB

The second step is to select an investment idea from the prepared list; which is suitable for the potential returns and risk ratio, value for the money scenario.

After getting the list of the foods which we like then we need to work on the place from where we get a food with requiring quality, where we get food as per our spending, etc. we generally do not prefer to visit the place where food is not available as per our taste and preference.

04 FB

05 FB

If we pay high valuation for the any of the assets then it is logical that our potential returns will be kept on reducing and might be chances of occurrence of loss starts increasing. We made an investment for generating returns and enhancing returns.

We buy food for fulfilling our hunger not for exhibiting of our food dish with expensive food. We sometimes eat expensive food, not on a daily basis. As not only expensive foods can able to fulfill our hunger similar to that not only good and quality investment can able to provide us returns.

We need to focus on the bargain through which we can able to generate a potentially higher returns with minimizing risk.

Sugar IT

As I quoted an example of a good fundamental IT & Pharma company with cheap sugar company.

We can see that if we have bought the comparatively lower fundamentally good stock at a cheap price than this stock has generated a higher return compared to the good fundamental stocks in last 5 years.

Good food means we get a satisfaction & fulfill our hunger from eating that food, and that never matter how much expensive or cheap it is.

In general buying good assets mean, the assets provide us high potential returns relative to lower risk and also has a low price relative to the value of an asset.

06 FB

07 FB

Mr. Howard Marks mentioned that while popularity is high towards stocks and people hates bonds, also many institutions shifting from bond to stocks; such situations provide a bargain for the bonds.

When the time change and people seek for more safety relative to the price appreciation then they start recognizing the potential of bonds.

Generally, people start recognizing the potential of the assets while the price of an assets starts appreciating. But people who have identified assets earlier, those can produce above-average returns.

When the restaurant is crowded then only people recognize the popularity of a restaurant. We make a decision by seeing how much-crowded restaurant is. If no one at a restaurant then we generally not prefers to visit by assuming that particular restaurant provides a low-quality food. Similarly with stocks, when everyone is buying particular stocks then we also run for buying those stocks with assuming high quality with high return. We do not check anything and follow the crowd.

We should try to make an investment into the underpriced assets rather than fairly priced. Fairly priced assets just provide fair returns with risk involvement. So that we should focus on underpriced assets with risk involvement for generating above-average returns.

08 FB

Bargain only available while perception is worse compared to the reality towards the asset. If everyone feels good and want to own that assets, then that asset will not be available at a bargain more.

When everyone cannot able to see the potential of the asset then we need to check the reason for unloved of the asset. Unloved assets can be available at the bargain if people hate it more than it should be.

If nobody is loved to the asset then nobody holding it So that demand for the asset will increase when people can able to see the potential of the asset. If our assumption has proven wrong and nobody is holding an asset or people unloved an asset then we might get limited downside or get the least loss from our investment.

When nobody to go for visiting a particular restaurant then we get foods at cheap cost with the proper quality for maintaining its customer.

09 FB

10 FB

Read for more detail: The Most Important Thing Illuminated by Howard Marks