Chapter 4 · 5 of 100 marks · workbook pages 78-89

Fundamentals of Research

Investing versus speculating, active versus passive, mosaic analysis versus insider information, the four research approaches, and the commodity research frame with gold and crude as cases.

Focus
  • Investing vs speculation
  • Mosaic analysis
  • Technical, fundamental, quantitative, and behavioural approaches
  • Commodity research
Must know
  • Investment is a disciplined wealth-creation activity based on risk, return, time horizon, and valuation.
  • Mosaic analysis uses public information pieces to form a view; insider information is prohibited.
  • Fundamental analysis studies economy, industry, company, financials, and valuation; technical analysis studies price and volume behaviour.
Traps
  • Speculation is not automatically illegal, but it is different from disciplined investing.
  • Public information analysis is valid; non-public price-sensitive information is not.