An investment operation is one which, upon thorough analysis promises safety of principal and an adequate return. Operations not meeting these requirements are speculative.
An investor is someone who carefully analyzes a company, decides exactly what it is worth, and will not buy the stock unless it is trading at a substantial discount to its intrinsic value.
They are able to say, for example, that "Company 'X' is trading for $48 per share, but it is worth $62 per share." They make their investment decisions based on factual data and do not allow their emotions to get involved. A speculator is a person who buys a stock for any other reason.Often, they will buy shares in a company because they are "in play" (which is another way of saying a stock is experiencing higher than normal volume and its shares may be being accumulated or sold by institutions). They buy stock not on the basis of a careful analysis, but on the chance, it will rise from any cause other than a recognition of its underlying fundamentals.Speculation itself is not necessarily a vice, but its participants must be absolutely willing to accept the fact that they are risking their principal. While it can be profitable in the short term (especially during bull markets), it very rarely provides a lifetime of sustainable income or returns.
It should be left only to those who can afford to lose everything they are putting up for stake.
Unintelligent Speculation
- Speculating when you think you are investing
- Speculating seriously instead of as a pastime, when you lack proper knowledge and skill for it
- Risking more money in speculation than you can afford to lose