This holds true for stock market dealings as it does for any other form of business activity. 

Don't misunderstand me.  It is possible to make money and a great deal of money in the stock market. But it can't be done overnight or by haphazard buying and selling.  You can be better off winning long-term on your investment.

The big profits go to the intelligent, careful and patient investor, not to the reckless and overeager speculator.   Conversely, it is the speculator who suffers the losses when the market takes a sudden downturn.

The seasoned investor buys his stocks when they are priced low, holds them for the long pull rise and takes in between dips and slumps in his stride.  They let the dividend compound does its work.

"Buy when stock prices are low, the lower the better and hold onto your securities," a highly successful financier advised me years ago, when I first started buying stocks.

"Bank on the trends and don't worry about the tremors.  Keep your mind on the long term cycles and ignore the sporadic ups and down..."

Great numbers of people who purchase stocks seem unable to grasp these simple principles.

They do not buy when  prices are low. They are fearful of bargains. They wait until a stock goes by and up and then buy because they feel they are thus getting in on a sure thing. Very often, they buy too late just before a stock has reached on of its peaks. Then they get caught and suffer losses when  the price breaks even a few points.

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