Tuesday 19 November 2013

Excerpts from my new book to be released on 13 December 2013, titled: Bulls and Bears: life lessons from the financial markets


Excerpts from my book to be released on 13 December 2013

I'm very excited that my book, titled: Bulls and Bears: LIFE lessons from the financial markets will be released in South Africa on 13 December 2013. The book is NOT about the financial markets but the inspirational life lessons that I have derived from the financial markets in general and the stock market in particular. There are some fantastic lessons from the book including, but not limited to:

1.    All trends eventually end. I have learned that there’s no economic boom that lasts forever neither does the recession lasts forever. If you are experiencing a “personal recession”, you must be comforted by the fact that, this too shall pass.
2.    In the financial markets, just like in life: nobody cares how good you used to be. Chief Executives will know this: Shareholders are ruthless – the fact that you have given them solid performance in the past 10 years, means absolutely nothing to them. If they start suspecting that the prospects of your company are not that great, they will sell their shares and move on. They don’t care how good you used to be. This is the same about life; we don’t care that you passed Matric with a distinction ten years ago or you whatever you accomplished in 1981; we don’t care. What are you doing today?
3.    Overconfidence is as bad as lack of confidence. In the financial markets, when people become overconfident, they stop doing the things that they used to do. They used to do a fundamental analysis to understand the value of a share and now all they do is speculate and base their investments on emotions. Never be overconfident, just do what you used to do. If you’re now in a position of authority, it doesn’t mean you’ve made it. Keep investing in yourself; attend leadership programs, you can just never know enough.
4.    Investing in yourself, just like investing in the stock market, is cheaper than you think.
5.    Exceptionally high earnings growth rates are unsustainable for long periods. There is no company that can sustain exceptional high growth rates for too long (I show why in the book). Even as human beings, steady growth rates are always better. Those who rise to leadership and prominence too quickly are in a risk of falling as quickly. You can’t always take the short and easy way out. Just like in the markets, what you earn in large numbers quickly doesn’t last long. There are no shortcuts to success, wealth, maturity or wisdom. All these require that you do certain things and therefore have to go through a process.
6.    Bull Markets last longer than Bear Markets – Be Bullish. In the book we trace certain scientific studies that prove that the good times (bull markets) last longer than the bad times (bear markets). I show why this should comfort any person. You maybe be crying now but this will not last forever.
7.    The job of analysts is to talk; the job of Chief Executives is to run a business. If you are the CEO of your own life then learn this now: leave the talking to the analysts and just continue to run your business.

  Ok before I reveal all my lessons here, let me stop. If you want more, pre-order your own copy
  of my book. Send me an email on: siphiwe@siphiwemoyo.co.za

Regards,