The Intelligent Investor Summary (Benjamin Graham)

Benjamin Graham’s “The Intelligent Investor” provides a sound framework for making investment decisions and controlling emotions. Graham advises investors to view stocks as ownership interests in a business and not just ticker symbols with prices. Investors should only buy stocks if they would be comfortable holding them for the long term, regardless of fluctuating prices. Graham also suggests two investing strategies: defensive and enterprising. Defensive investors should aim for diversification, invest in a mix of stocks and bonds, and follow specific criteria when selecting stocks. Enterprising investors should be patient, disciplined, and willing to devote more time to investing. They should also search for undervalued companies and insist on a margin of safety. Graham argues that risk and reward are not always correlated and encourages investors to look for bargain assets.