Maserati 12/28/15: "Yeah, sure, that's why everyone's investing in Nigeria, right?
In all seriousness, stability is maybe the single most important dimension for business investment; or if not stability, then PREDICTABILITY. From one perspective, this absolutely disastrous administration has been great for business: they have been eminently predictable, and will likely continue to be so, which is one reason I have expressed faith in the continuity of the markets through the next while.
If the Republicans win the WH and the House, then all bets are off. There will be wild swings, who knows what the directions and durations will be; traders will prosper, investors have a 50% chance of suffering."
Market continuity up until the election: check.
Wild swing after Republicans won the WH: check.
12/28/15: "There are fundamentals, and there are fundamentals. Value is what it's about. Value is a perception, and leads to a willingness to pay. The advertising industry is airy-fairy, with performance measurement having absolutely nothing in common with scientific validation. All it takes is a split-second decision for the value in FB to disappear. Gone!
NFLX and AMZN, OTOH, actually do something, for a vast number of individuals and businesses. The value is widespread, and is not the result of irrational fantasy."
NFLX and AMZN: check.
12/29/15: "And those things are your friends if you are trying to make money in the markets. If you are just trying to preserve wealth or go with the flow, the markets can be useful (although there may be better vehicles). Consider coach and his NFLX. Have the assets of NFLX appreciated as much as the stock price while he has been holding it? No. Projecting future performance, of both the business and the stock, is where the emotions come into play. Coach has profited handsomely from both his analysis and emotions, and from the analysis and emotions of others, same as he does with his short positions. He is in the market to MAKE money, and apparently, he does. I know other people who do the same.
The only answer you can have to the fact that he makes money on NFLX is an argument based on time-frame, or data windowing. He could realize gains today. For him, NFLX is NEVER "over-valued" while he is holding it, and lots of people hold NFLX, AMZN, AAPL, etc. As long as there is widespread holding of these stocks, value perceptions of people like you, who do not hold them, are at best only half the story--and probably less than half the story, because those who DO NOT own the stocks lack the control held by those who DO own the stocks."
NFLX, AMZN, AAPL: check.
Maser! He's the single poster on here who is not only mostly right, but who has the nads to admit when he's wrong. Maybe also bigfoot investments.