233 Quotes by Peter Lynch

As I look back on it now, it’s obvious that studying history and philosophy was much better preparation for the stock market than, say, studying statistics.

If all the economists in the world were laid end to end, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

If you can follow only one bit of data, follow the earnings – assuming the company in question has earnings. I subscribe to the crusty notion that sooner or later earnings make or break an investment in equities. What the stock price does today, tomorrow, or next week is only a distraction.

When even the analysts are bored, it’s time to start buying.

When you start to confuse Freddie Mac, Sallie Mae and Fannie Mae with members of your family, and you remember 2,000 stock symbols but forget the children’s birthdays, there’s a good chance you’ve become too wrapped up in your work.

Investing is fun and exciting, but dangerous if you don’t do any work.

The trick is not to learn to trust your gut feelings, but rather to discipline yourself to ignore them. Stand by your stocks as long as the fundamental story of the company hasn’t changed.

What makes stocks valuable in the long run isn’t the market. It’s the profitability of the shares in the companies you own. As corporate profits increase, corporations become more valuable and sooner or later, their shares will sell for a higher price.

That’s not to say there’s no such thing as an overvalued market, but there’s no point worrying about it.