Household Stocks

A layman idea that has permeated the investing world is that if you are using a product or service then and you enjoy it, then you should own the stock of the company behind it. This is a good example of why Albert Einstein said “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler“”. By making a concept simpler than it should be, it has omitted some important aspects of it.

There are a few shortcomings to this idea. The fact that you like it does not mean everyone else likes it. And is also not any indication of what the business might expand into later. It does not give an idea of what it’s competitors are. Maybe the competitors don’t sell or market to where you live.

The business behind it can tell a totally different story. They can be debt ridden. Found malpractice. Or fighting a patent lawsuit. Anything is possible.

Households names are a good starting point. There is something in you that made you purchase the product or service. That in itself is a pre-requisite for a good product. But analysis shouldn’t end there. Looking into the financials and the story of a business is key to investing as much as having a mouth feel of the latest flavour of coke.