Premium: The Barbet and Grey Louries – some rational perspectives on equity investing

Every morning, half a dozen Grey Louries keep me company while writing this morning missive. My side of the bargain is breakfast. They love pawpaws and make quite a racket if it's not served timeously. It's a good trade..Over the past few days, however, a Crested Barbet has arrived to shake up our routine. As you can see in the video (above), the feisty little fellow has no difficulty chasing away birds twice his size. So, of late, he gets to eat first while my long-time visitors watch on patiently..___STEADY_PAYWALL___.To my human brain, the Barbet seems to be accepting the risk of being mobbed by the bigger birds for the reward of first crack at the pawpaw. It's a bit like those tribe members who've been asking me to confirm their idea of buying equities in the wake of Mr Market's current temper tantrum. To them, the risk appears to justify the potential reward..My response: I have absolutely no idea. Knowing when it's best to buy or sell shares or what sectors to rotate into or out of, is well beyond my circle of competence. I'm not a money manager nor investment advisor. What I have learned, though, is successful share investing is a long-term project, hence the minimum five-year term of our model portfolios (created to encourage you to take a greater interest in your own financial future while learning from the experts we tap into on BizNews)..Warren Buffett also teaches us investing also requires the discipline of only co-owning companies you know and then resisting emotions stirred by Mr Market. In other words, buying an asset you understand and being prepared to wait patiently for the reward. Investing not trading, More Grey Lourie than Barbet. You sleep better, too..More for you to read today:.Investors Pile Into Gold, Seeking Safety From Market, Geopolitical Turbulence. The SPDR Gold Shares exchange-traded fund on Friday notched its largest single day of inflows on recordWhy You Should Sit Out the Mayhem. What matters isn't what the market does—but what you do in responseDow, S&P 500 Close Lower as Stock-Market Turbulence Continues. Nasdaq falls 2.3% a day after late rally erased sharp losses.*PS: Am off to the 'Berg this afternoon to help with the team's final checks ahead of BNC#3. A busy schedule as will also be visiting the four rural schools where BizNews and a couple of our tribesmen have funded the equipment to enable internet access. So, your next Premium newsletter will arrive on Monday..NB FOR YOUR WALL STREET JOURNAL ACCESS….As a Premium subscriber you are entitled to full membership of wsj.com (normal price $29 a month). Be sure to action your access through the Premium link on the BizNews website. Because of The Wall Street Journal's credential requirements, be sure to create a password which has at least 8 characters and includes at least one letter and one number – NB it MAY NOT contain any special characters (ie #, !, @ etc). To maintain access to WSJ.com, you MUST enter our partner's website via BizNews Premium at least once a month. A final PS, if you had previously signed up for WSJ you'll need to clear the cookies from your device. Our help desk can assist – support@biznews.com..If you'd like to help sustain our independent voice, why not share the love by making a gift that keeps giving? Click here to access the BizNews Premium subscription signup form, and be sure tick the relevant box. At R100 a month and inclusive of full membership of The Wall Street Journal, it's a mind-expanding gift at an incredibly modest price.

Premium: The Barbet and Grey Louries – some rational perspectives on equity investing

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