Who should read *Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings*?

This book is essential for long-term investors, stock market enthusiasts, and finance professionals seeking timeless strategies for evaluating companies. It’s particularly valuable for those interested in qualitative analysis, growth investing, or understanding Warren Buffett’s influences. Fisher’s principles are ideal for readers willing to prioritize deep research over quick trades.

Is *Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings* worth reading?

Yes—Fisher’s insights remain foundational in modern investing. The book’s emphasis on management quality, competitive positioning, and long-term horizons offers actionable frameworks. Its blend of practical advice (e.g., the "Fifteen Points" checklist) and philosophical rigor makes it a classic, cited by legends like Buffett as a key influence.

What is Philip Fisher’s "scuttlebutt" method?

Fisher’s "scuttlebutt" method involves gathering non-public information about a company by interviewing employees, customers, suppliers, and competitors. This approach helps assess management integrity, operational efficiency, and growth prospects beyond financial statements. Investors use it to uncover qualitative strengths often missed in traditional analysis.

What are Philip Fisher’s "Fifteen Points to Look for in a Common Stock"?

Fisher’s "Fifteen Points" are criteria for evaluating companies, including: - Strong management with integrity and innovation. - Sustainable competitive advantages (e.g., patents, brand loyalty). - High-profit margins and efficient R&D spending. - Long-term growth drivers and shareholder-friendly policies. These principles help identify companies capable of outperforming the market.

How does Philip Fisher’s approach differ from Benjamin Graham’s?

While Benjamin Graham focused on quantitative metrics and "value investing," Fisher prioritized qualitative factors like management quality and growth potential. Graham sought undervalued stocks, whereas Fisher advocated paying a premium for exceptional companies to hold indefinitely. Buffett blended both philosophies.

What does Fisher say about dividends in *Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits*?

Fisher argues dividends should not dictate investment decisions. Companies retaining earnings for R&D, expansion, or cost-saving initiatives often create more shareholder value than high dividend payouts. He advises evaluating whether reinvested earnings yield higher returns than alternative investments after taxes.

What are common criticisms of *Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits*?

Critics argue Fisher’s methods require significant time and access to industry networks, making them impractical for casual investors. Some also note his focus on high-growth companies can lead to overvaluation risks if growth stalls. However, his core principles remain widely respected.

Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

Q: What is *Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings* about?

*Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings* by Philip A. Fisher outlines a growth investing strategy focused on identifying companies with strong management, sustainable competitive advantages, and long-term growth potential. It emphasizes thorough research, the "scuttlebutt" method (gathering insights from industry insiders), and holding high-quality stocks indefinitely. The book also critiques short-term speculation and dividend-centric investing, advocating for patience and disciplined analysis.

Philip A. Fischer

Overview of Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

Discover the investment bible that transformed Warren Buffett's strategy. Fisher's "scuttlebutt" method revolutionized growth investing by valuing qualitative research over numbers alone. What counterintuitive wisdom made this 1958 classic required reading at Stanford Business School and a cornerstone of Berkshire Hathaway's phenomenal success?

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Chapter 1

The Investment Wisdom That Turned $10,000 into Millions

Warren Buffett once called Philip Fisher "a giant intellectual who left an enormous mark on the investment field." Yet unlike flashier Wall Street personalities, Fisher quietly built his fortune through a methodical approach that prioritized deep research over market timing. His 1958 classic "Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits" remains on Buffett's short list of essential investment books, fundamentally shaping his evolution from pure value investing to finding wonderful businesses at fair prices. When Fisher passed away in 2004 at age 96, he had held some positions for over 50 years-including Motorola stock he purchased in 1955 and never sold. While his son Kenneth would later gain fame founding Fisher Investments, it was Philip who pioneered the growth-focused, research-intensive approach that transformed how generations of investors think about building wealth through the stock market.

Chapter 2

Finding the Extraordinary Among the Ordinary

The greatest investment rewards come to those who identify companies capable of growing sales and profits far beyond industry averages over many years. This seemingly simple insight forms the foundation of Fisher's approach, yet few investors truly understand how to apply it. The challenge begins with recognizing that most companies are fundamentally ordinary. They may experience temporary success but lack the characteristics needed for sustained exceptional performance. Fisher's genius was developing a systematic method to separate the truly extraordinary from the merely adequate. His approach starts with understanding that genuine growth companies aren't just those riding temporary trends. They possess specific qualities that enable them to consistently outperform peers year after year. These companies combine outstanding day-to-day operations with long-range vision, particularly through organized scientific research that delivers economically worthwhile product lines. Fisher observed that the research revolution following World War II created unprecedented investment opportunities. Companies were spending billions on research and development, with manufacturers expecting 10% of 1960 sales to come from products that didn't even exist commercially three years earlier. This massive shift meant companies that failed to manage research wisely risked crushing operational expenses, while those that neglected research entirely faced obsolescence. The most profitable research projects typically required 7-11 years to significantly impact earnings, creating short-term financial drains before delivering shareholder profits. This timing disconnect created perfect opportunities for patient investors who understood the development cycle. Fisher's approach wasn't limited to technology companies. He found extraordinary businesses across manufacturing, chemicals, and industrial equipment by focusing on management quality, competitive advantages, and operational excellence. His investment in Food Machinery Corporation (later FMC) exemplifies this approach-identifying a small company with world-leading positions in its business lines, strong patent protection, and exceptional management that would drive decades of growth. The key insight is that extraordinary companies aren't just better versions of ordinary ones-they're fundamentally different in how they approach business problems, develop talent, and create sustainable advantages. By understanding these differences and developing the discipline to invest only in the exceptional, Fisher achieved returns that transformed modest investments into generational wealth.

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Chapter 3

The Scuttlebutt Method: Intelligence Gathering for Investors

One of Fisher's most revolutionary contributions to investment thinking was his "scuttlebutt method"-a systematic approach to gathering intelligence about companies that goes far beyond financial statements and management presentations. This approach leverages the business grapevine to build a comprehensive picture of a company's true competitive position and prospects. The method begins with the recognition that the most valuable information about a company rarely appears in its official documents. Instead, it comes from the network of relationships surrounding the business-customers who use its products, vendors who supply it, competitors who face it in the marketplace, and former employees who understand its inner workings. Fisher developed a disciplined process for tapping into this network. He would identify potential contacts through industry connections, commercial banking relationships, and his growing network of investment professionals. When approaching these sources, he would guarantee confidentiality and ask specific, thoughtful questions designed to reveal the company's true strengths and weaknesses. The power of this approach comes from triangulation-gathering perspectives from multiple sources to create a composite picture that no single viewpoint could provide. When customers, suppliers, and competitors all independently confirm a company's superior product quality or exceptional service, that consensus carries far more weight than management's claims alone. This intelligence-gathering process serves as both a discovery mechanism and a verification tool. It can reveal promising investment candidates that the broader market hasn't yet recognized, while also exposing potential problems in seemingly attractive companies. Fisher noted that companies like Enron would have failed his scuttlebutt test, as their claimed business advantages couldn't be verified through customer and competitor interviews. The method requires significant effort-Fisher estimated he would gather at least 50% of necessary information before even approaching company management. This preparation allowed him to ask informed questions and gain management's respect, resulting in more candid and valuable discussions. His investigation-to-purchase ratio was roughly 2:1, meaning he invested in about half the companies he thoroughly researched. What makes the scuttlebutt method particularly valuable is its ability to identify qualitative factors that don't appear in financial statements but ultimately drive long-term performance. A company's research pipeline, the quality of its customer relationships, and the depth of its management talent can all be assessed more accurately through this network-based approach than through traditional analysis. Fisher's son Kenneth later observed that his father's genius in questioning wasn't just following a rigid list but developing insightful follow-up questions based on responses. One particularly powerful question: "What are you doing that your competitors aren't doing yet?"-a query that encapsulates the essence of finding companies that drive markets rather than follow them.

Chapter 4

The Fifteen Points: A Framework for Excellence

At the heart of Fisher's investment approach lies his famous fifteen-point checklist-a comprehensive framework for evaluating potential investments that has stood the test of time for over six decades. Unlike simplistic screening tools, these points form an integrated system for identifying companies with the potential for extraordinary long-term performance. The first points focus on a company's growth potential. Does it have products or services with sufficient market potential to make possible a sizable increase in sales for at least several years? Is management determined to continue developing products or processes that will further increase total sales when growth in the company's present product lines slows? These questions address not just current success but the pipeline that will sustain growth when existing products mature. Next, Fisher examines research effectiveness. Does the company's research and development organization have a worthwhile record of developing commercially profitable products? More importantly, is it large enough in relation to sales to give reasonable assurance of continuing competitive technical ability? This recognizes that innovation must be both consistent and properly scaled to drive long-term success. The framework then turns to sales effectiveness-whether the company has an above-average sales organization that truly understands customer needs. Fisher observed that even the best products require people capable of convincing others of their worth. Profit margins receive particular attention. Does the company have an above-average profit margin? Are efforts being made to improve margins further? High margins provide safety during downturns and generate capital for future growth, while continual improvement indicates management's commitment to operational excellence. Fisher also examines cost analysis and accounting controls. Companies with superior financial talent gain crucial advantages through accurate product cost knowledge and early-warning systems that detect profit threats before they become painful surprises for investors. The later points address management quality and integrity. Does management talk freely to investors about both good and bad developments, or do they "clam up" when troubles arise? Do they demonstrate a highly developed sense of trusteeship toward shareholders, or do they exploit their position through excessive compensation or questionable transactions? What makes these fifteen points particularly powerful is their interconnectedness. A company might excel in product development but fail in sales execution, or demonstrate strong current profits but lack the research pipeline for future growth. Only companies that score highly across all dimensions offer the combination of growth potential and reduced risk that Fisher sought. Kenneth Fisher later observed that these points would have eliminated not only scandal stocks like Enron but also the "95 percent club" of tech stocks that lost most of their value in the 2000-2002 bear market because they lacked real sales forces, profit margins, research capabilities, and financial stability.

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Chapter 5

When to Buy: Timing the Development Cycle

While identifying outstanding growth stocks is the heart of successful investing, Fisher recognized that timing purchases still matters significantly. His approach to timing differs dramatically from conventional market timing, focusing instead on company-specific development cycles that create predictable patterns of opportunity. Fisher dismissed economic forecasting as fundamentally flawed for timing stock purchases. He compared it to medieval alchemy-occasionally producing accurate predictions but generally wasting enormous mental effort on incomplete data. Instead, he identified specific business situations that create predictable buying opportunities. The most reliable timing opportunities come from understanding the development cycle of new products or facilities. When a company's first full-scale commercial plant begins production, it typically encounters an expensive shake-down period of 6-8 weeks for established processes, but revolutionary processes may face much longer delays. These delays, combined with additional sales and advertising expenses, often temporarily drain profits. As problems mount, formerly eager investors become discouraged sellers, driving stock prices down. When production finally stabilizes but earnings remain depressed from special sales expenses, the stock often reaches its lowest point-precisely when it might prove a sensational buy. Once volume builds and subsequent plants come online without the same difficulties, the company can grow prosperously for years. Fisher illustrated this pattern with Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation in the 1950s. As the company modernized its chemical operations, unexpected troubles delayed earnings improvements at its South Charleston chlorine cells until early 1958. The market validated these improvements when Food Machinery reported record profits of $2.39 per share in the recession year of 1958-a clear sign the chemical divisions had transformed from marginal to highly desirable investments. The stock price responded by rising from 2514 in September 1957 to 51 by publication time-a 102% gain. Other timing opportunities arise from temporary organizational challenges. A Midwestern electronics company with excellent labor relations encountered friction when growth necessitated changes in employee management, coinciding with a misjudgment about a new product's market potential. As management implemented corrective plans, the stock reached "buying point A"-down 24% from its peak. Those who bought here saw 55-60% gains within a year. A second strike then created "buying point B" with another 20% drop. Those who recognized the temporary nature of these problems saw a 90% total gain from point A. Chemical companies present another timing opportunity when expanding existing plants. A typical scenario involves spending perhaps $1.5 million (15% additional investment) to increase output by 40%, with minimal additional overhead. Since profit margins on this incremental production are exceptionally good, buying before this earning power improvement is reflected in the stock price creates an ideal entry point. The common denominator in these examples is a worthwhile improvement in earnings coming to the right sort of company before this improvement has affected the stock price. This approach gives investors two advantages: first, they're making decisions based on knowable company-specific factors rather than unpredictable market movements; second, companies poised for earnings improvements tend to rise more in good markets and decline less in bad ones.

Chapter 6

When to Sell: Almost Never

Perhaps Fisher's most controversial position-and the one that most dramatically separates him from conventional investment thinking-is his approach to selling. His provocative conclusion: "If the job has been correctly done when a common stock is purchased, the time to sell it is-almost never." This radical stance stems from Fisher's recognition that truly outstanding businesses are exceedingly rare. When investors find companies with exceptional management, sustainable competitive advantages, and significant growth runways, they should be extraordinarily reluctant to part with them. The mathematics of compounding means that a company growing at 15-20% annually can multiply an investment many times over decades. Fisher identifies only three legitimate reasons to sell a properly selected stock. First, when a mistake was made in the original purchase and the company's fundamentals prove less favorable than initially believed. Recognizing such mistakes quickly is crucial, though many investors struggle emotionally with taking losses, often holding declining stocks in hopes of "breaking even"-a costly self-indulgence that ties up capital. Second, sell when a company no longer qualifies against the fifteen investment points outlined earlier. This typically happens through management deterioration (complacency replacing drive, or new executives failing to maintain standards) or when a company exhausts its growth prospects and begins growing only at the general economic rate. Third, rarely, an investor might sell to switch to a clearly superior investment opportunity. The difference between a company growing at 12% annually versus 20% annually can justify the transaction costs and capital gains taxes involved in switching, though this requires careful analysis. Fisher emphatically rejects common selling rationales. One frequent mistake is selling because a stock has "become overpriced." This reasoning fails to recognize the imprecision in valuing growth companies. When a stock sells at 35 times earnings rather than the usual 25, it may seem overpriced, but if the company might quadruple in ten years, temporary overvaluation matters little compared to maintaining a position in an exceptional business. The capital gains tax further weakens the case for selling "overpriced" stocks. Is avoiding a temporary 35% decline worth both losing a permanent position in an extraordinary company and incurring significant tax liability? Perhaps the most absurd reason for selling is that a stock "has had a huge advance." This logic suggests buying stocks that haven't risen yet instead of those proving their worth. Using an analogy of investing in classmates' future earnings, Fisher demonstrates the folly of selling a star performer just because they've already succeeded. His experience with Texas Instruments illustrates this principle. By 1962, the stock had risen fifteen times his purchase price over seven years. Despite warning clients the price was unrealistically high, he urged them to maintain holdings. When the correction came, Texas Instruments dropped 80% from its peak, but within a few years exceeded its previous high by more than double. Patience paid off.

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Chapter 7

Don'ts for Investors: Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Fisher's investment philosophy includes specific warnings about common mistakes that undermine long-term results. These "don'ts" provide guardrails that keep investors focused on what truly matters while avoiding seductive but ultimately harmful practices. First, never buy into promotional companies. While finding businesses developing new products or exploiting new markets is central to successful investing, companies in the promotional stage (without at least 2-3 years of commercial operation and one year of profit) present excessive risk. Unlike established companies where investors can observe actual operations, promotional ventures offer only blueprints and guesswork. These young companies often suffer from leadership imbalances-founders may excel in invention or production while lacking marketing or management skills. Second, don't ignore a good stock just because it's traded "over-the-counter." The over-the-counter market has evolved significantly, offering better liquidity than many assume. For sophisticated investors who select conscientious brokers and the right securities, over-the-counter stocks can be excellent investments, particularly for medium-sized growing companies not yet ready for major exchange listing. Third, don't buy a stock just because you like the "tone" of its annual report. Annual reports are marketing tools designed to build stockholder goodwill, not necessarily accurate reflections of a company's true condition. The appealing wording, format, photographs, and colored charts may represent nothing more than the skill of a public relations department rather than management quality. Fourth, don't assume that a high price-earnings ratio necessarily indicates that future growth has already been "discounted" in the price. Exceptional companies maintain premium valuations because they continue developing new products that drive future growth. If a quality company maintains its historical premium P/E ratio, doubling earnings in five years would likely double the stock price as well-meaning the current price isn't actually discounting future earnings at all. Fifth, don't quibble over eighths and quarters when buying quality stocks. A real-life investor once refused to pay 3512 for shares, insisting on 35 to save $50 on a hundred-share purchase. The stock never reached his price, and 25 years later was worth over $46,500 more than his "savings." This represents a 930-to-1 loss ratio-financial lunacy. Sixth, don't overstress diversification. While diversification is widely acclaimed as an investment principle, excessive diversification can be as harmful as insufficient diversification. Many investors with substantial portfolios own 25+ stocks, but only a small percentage are companies they thoroughly understand. As a rough guide, Fisher suggests limiting holdings to 5 large, entrenched growth stocks with no more than 20% of original capital in each; or for mid-sized companies, consider 8-10% allocation per company (requiring 10-12 stocks total). Seventh, don't be afraid of buying on a war scare. Throughout history, stocks have plunged when war broke out but ended up vastly higher by war's end. Modern warfare forces governments to spend far more than they collect from taxpayers, causing vast increases in money supply. This classic inflation makes each dollar worth less, requiring more dollars to buy the same shares. Eighth, don't forget your Gilbert and Sullivan-don't fixate on superficial financial statistics that have "very little to do with the case." A stock's price represents only the composite market appraisal at a specific moment in time. As a company evolves-developing new executives, products, or competitive positions-its intrinsic worth can dramatically change relative to its historical pricing. Ninth, don't fail to consider time as well as price in buying a true growth stock. Sometimes timing matters more than price when buying growth stocks. When a company qualifies magnificently on all fifteen points and has significant unrecognized earnings potential coming within a year, the goal should be to buy at the lowest price the stock will sell from that point forward. Finally, don't follow the crowd. Stock prices fluctuate not just from tangible events but from psychological shifts in how the financial community views the same set of facts. These collective mood swings create massive distortions between price and value. The wise investor profits by thinking independently when the majority leans the wrong way.

Chapter 8

The Fallacy of the Efficient Market

In his later writings, Fisher directly challenged the emerging academic theory of efficient markets-the notion that stock prices already fully reflect all known information, making it impossible to find genuine bargains without illicit inside information. His real-world experience over decades provided compelling evidence against this increasingly popular academic view. To demonstrate how inefficient the market actually is, Fisher conducted an exercise with Stanford business students in 1961. They tracked price changes for 140 stocks over nearly five years when the Dow rose 41%. The results were striking: 27% of stocks showed capital losses, with 4% losing over half their value. Meanwhile, roughly a quarter of stocks showed spectacular gains. If a person had invested $10,000 equally in the five best-performing stocks, they would have ended with $70,260. The five worst would have shrunk to $3,180. A skilled investor might reasonably select five of the ten best stocks, yielding $52,070, while a poor investor might select five of the ten worst, ending with just $4,270-a $48,000 difference from the same starting point. Fisher repeated this exercise 18 months later with different stocks but similar time frames and found nearly identical dispersion. While some variation comes from unforeseeable surprises, most differences can be anticipated in both direction and magnitude relative to the market. The Raychem Corporation provided a perfect real-world example of market inefficiency. In the early 1970s, Raychem enjoyed considerable market prestige based on its distinctive operating philosophy of pursuing technically complex products with proprietary protection where it could become the leader in its chosen niche. Near the close of fiscal year 1976, Raychem suffered two devastating blows. Management discovered their major new product Stilan was "a scientific success but a commercial failure," requiring a $9.3 million write-off that caused earnings to plummet from $7.95 per share to just $0.08. Simultaneously, Raychem implemented a planned organizational restructuring that temporarily reduced efficiency. Despite management's complete transparency about these temporary setbacks and future prospects-including a detailed January 1978 investor meeting where ten senior executives frankly discussed company operations-the stock remained depressed for weeks afterward. Only later did the price more than double as earnings growth materialized exactly as management had predicted. This contradicts the efficient market theory's claim that stock prices instantly adjust to all available information. Fisher noted that believers in this theory tend to be either academic students with minimal practical experience or institutional fund managers, while individual investors largely ignore it. The inefficiency of markets creates opportunities for investors willing to develop independent judgment and do the hard work of thorough research. Fisher observed that in the late 1970s, this market inefficiency created more attractive opportunities among larger technology companies (dominated by institutions) than among smaller ones (where individual investors played a bigger role).

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Chapter 9

Conservative Investors Sleep Well: The Four Dimensions

In his later work "Conservative Investors Sleep Well," Fisher expanded his framework to help investors identify truly conservative investments-those offering significant growth potential with reduced risk. This approach challenges the conventional wisdom that equates conservatism with large, established companies or high dividend payers. Fisher organizes his conservative investment framework around four dimensions that together create a comprehensive evaluation system. The first dimension examines whether a business has the operational excellence needed to create sufficient margins between costs and selling prices. This includes being the lowest-cost producer in its industry (providing safety during downturns and generating sufficient internal funds for growth), maintaining a strong marketing organization that understands customer needs, developing outstanding research capabilities that drive both new products and cost improvements, and demonstrating superior financial skills that provide accurate cost knowledge and early-warning systems for potential problems. The second dimension focuses on people-the human factors that ultimately determine a company's success. Conservative investments require a corporate chief executive dedicated to long-range growth who delegates authority to a competent team working collaboratively toward clear goals. Essential to long-term success is management's commitment to identifying and training qualified successors at every level. Companies with genuine investment merit typically promote from within, as they've developed policies and methods uniquely suited to their needs. Conservative investments also require companies that constantly challenge their own methods, accepting some risks when adopting new approaches rather than clinging to comfortable traditions. Texas Instruments exemplified this principle with its "people-effectiveness" program, where workers set their own production goals-often exceeding management expectations. Workers voluntarily reduced breaks to meet targets, with peer pressure proving more effective than top-down discipline. The results: TI's people-effectiveness index (sales divided by payroll) rose from 2.25% to 2.5% despite wage inflation. The third dimension examines business characteristics enabling sustained above-average profitability. From an investment safety perspective, profit margin on sales is paramount-a company with a 10% margin can withstand cost increases that would bankrupt one operating at 1% margins. Companies can protect these margins either through monopoly (often temporary) or by operating so efficiently that competitors have no incentive to enter. The most common characteristic enabling sustained profitability is "economies of scale"-where larger companies produce at lower per-unit costs. Other competitive advantages include strategic plant locations, guaranteed shelf space in retail environments, and technological leadership requiring multiple scientific disciplines. The fourth dimension focuses on the price-earnings ratio and the financial community's appraisal of a stock. This appraisal actually blends three separate evaluations: the attractiveness of common stocks as a whole, the industry's prospects, and the specific company itself. The greatest investment rewards come when improving earnings combine with an expanding price-earnings ratio as the financial community recognizes a company's true worth. Fisher illustrates this with the chemical industry, which commanded premium valuations through the mid-1950s as investors envisioned endless revolutionary products. By the 1960s, chemicals became viewed as commodity products, leading to compressed valuations despite the underlying businesses remaining fundamentally similar. The investor's challenge is determining whether the current prevailing appraisal is more favorable, less favorable, or appropriately aligned with economic reality.

Chapter 10

The Philosophy Matures: Learning from Five Decades

Fisher's investment philosophy developed gradually through logical reasoning, observing others' successes and failures, and learning from his own mistakes. His first awareness of the stock market came during early adolescence while visiting his grandmother, where he discovered the fascinating world of business ownership through stocks. Though his early ventures taught him little of value, formative experiences at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business proved transformative. During the 1927-28 academic year, Fisher participated in a unique program visiting major San Francisco Bay Area businesses. Professor Boris Emmett, who led these visits, had previously worked rescuing struggling manufacturers. These experiences taught Fisher the critical importance of effective selling and marketing for business success-even the best products require people capable of convincing others of their worth. Fisher's early career included painful lessons. In 1929, he correctly predicted the beginning of the greatest bear market in a quarter century within six months. Despite this foresight, he foolishly sought stocks that "were still cheap" and "had not gone up yet," investing in three low P/E stocks that subsequently collapsed. This costly experience taught him that a low price-earnings ratio often signals weakness rather than value, and that what truly matters isn't a stock's ratio to current earnings, but to earnings a few years ahead. After establishing his own investment firm during the depths of the Depression, Fisher developed his approach through careful analysis of successes and failures. He established his "three-year rule," telling clients not to judge results in months but to allow a three-year period-if he hadn't produced worthwhile results by then, they should fire him. He applied this same discipline to individual stocks, selling those that hadn't performed after three years. His investments in Texas Instruments and Motorola in 1955 illustrate this principle perfectly. While Texas Instruments rose quickly, Motorola languished below his purchase price for over a year, earning the nickname "that turkey" from one irritated client. Yet as the market gradually recognized Motorola's dominant position in mobile communications, the stock became a spectacular performer. Fisher also learned to focus exclusively on his areas of expertise. While he thoroughly understood manufacturing companies serving industrial markets and technology companies serving manufacturers, his skills didn't transfer well to consumer product companies or real estate operations. This experience taught him to recognize the limits of his competence and focus on what he knew best. On whether to sell good stocks before potential market downturns, Fisher developed a minority view. While most investors grab profits when fearing a decline, he preferred holding stocks with attractive long-term prospects regardless of short-term volatility. His reasoning was fundamental: truly outstanding companies are rare but can be identified with about 90% accuracy by someone understanding sound fundamentals. Conversely, predicting short-term market movements is extraordinarily difficult, with perhaps only 60% accuracy at best. Fisher's views on dividends also evolved gradually. He realized that companies with the greatest growth prospects were under tremendous pressure to retain earnings for product development, marketing, plant expansion, and increased inventory. This created a natural alignment between non-dividend-paying companies with strong earnings and attractive reinvestment opportunities, and investors seeking maximum profits who neither needed additional income nor wanted unnecessary taxes. After five decades of investing through the Great Depression, World War II, and various economic cycles, Fisher distilled his philosophy into eight essential principles that continue to guide successful investors today. These principles emphasize investing in companies with disciplined plans for dramatic long-term profit growth, buying when these companies are out of favor, holding until fundamental changes occur, de-emphasizing dividends when seeking capital appreciation, concentrating funds in the most desirable opportunities, and developing independent judgment rather than blindly following prevailing financial opinion.

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Key Themes in Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

growth investing
scuttlebutt method
qualitative analysis
management quality
long-term holding

Quotes from Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

The greatest investment rewards come to those who identify companies capable of growing sales and profits.
Extraordinary companies aren't just better versions of ordinary ones.
The most valuable information about a company rarely appears in its official documents.
Companies like Enron would have failed his scuttlebutt test.
What are you doing that your competitors aren't doing yet?

Characters in Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

Philip A. FisherAuthor and pioneer of growth-focused investing
Kenneth FisherPhilip's son and founder of Fisher Investments

About the Author

Philip A. Fisher, author of the investment classic Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings, was a pioneering growth investor and influential financial thinker.

A Stanford-trained economist and founder of Fisher & Co., he shaped modern investment strategies through his emphasis on long-term holdings and rigorous analysis of companies’ potential. His seminal work, blending finance and business philosophy, established frameworks like the “scuttlebutt method” for evaluating management quality and competitive advantages.

Fisher’s other books, including Paths to Wealth Through Common Stocks and Conservative Investors Sleep Well, further refine his principles of identifying transformative enterprises. His approach influenced Warren Buffett, who credited Fisher’s ideas as foundational to Berkshire Hathaway’s success.

For over 70 years, Fisher managed investments through market cycles, retiring at 91. Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits remains a cornerstone of investment literature, continuously in print since 1958 and hailed by Buffett as essential reading for serious investors.

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@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

See more on how BeFreed is discussed

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Chapter 7

Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

OverviewOverview of Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

One book. Many ways to hear it.

The Investment Wisdom That Turned $10,000 into Millions

Finding the Extraordinary Among the Ordinary

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The Scuttlebutt Method: Intelligence Gathering for Investors

The Fifteen Points: A Framework for Excellence

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When to Buy: Timing the Development Cycle

When to Sell: Almost Never

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Don'ts for Investors: Avoiding Common Pitfalls

The Fallacy of the Efficient Market

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Conservative Investors Sleep Well: The Four Dimensions

The Philosophy Matures: Learning from Five Decades

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About the Author

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1,000,000+ curious minds.

1,000,000+ curious minds.

One book. Many ways to hear it.

The Investment Wisdom That Turned $10,000 into Millions

Finding the Extraordinary Among the Ordinary

See every word as you hear it

The Scuttlebutt Method: Intelligence Gathering for Investors

The Fifteen Points: A Framework for Excellence

Get more out of Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

When to Buy: Timing the Development Cycle

When to Sell: Almost Never

See every word as you hear it

Don'ts for Investors: Avoiding Common Pitfalls

The Fallacy of the Efficient Market

Get more out of Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

Conservative Investors Sleep Well: The Four Dimensions

The Philosophy Matures: Learning from Five Decades

You made it to the end of Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings

Users also liked

Discover more

Overview of Common stocks and uncommon profits and other writings