“In the stock market, there’s a fine line between being wrong and being early”
Timing the stock market is a tricky thing to do. “In the stock market, there’s a fine line beween being wrong and being early” (or, “In the stock market, there’s a fine line between being early and being wrong”) means that a simple mis-timing of when to buy or sell can mean the difference between being wrong or being right.
The saying has been cited since at least 1986.
27 April 1986, Chicago (IL) Tribune, “Life isn’t easy for lone bear in bullpen” by Herb Greenberg, business section, pg. 1:
That’s because as a stock market analyst, there’s very little difference between being early and being wrong.
Google Books
Handbook of Modern Finance
Second Edition
By Dennis E. Logue
Boston, MA: Warren Gorham & Lamont
1990
Pg. ?:
In studying behavior, it is always difficult to tell the difference between being early and being wrong.
6 July 1999, Los Angeles (CA) Times, “Assessing Where We Went Right and Where We Went Wrong; Stock Exchange lets readers listen in as Times staff writers James Peltz and Michael Hiltzik debate the merits of individual stocks,” part S, pg. 19:
Mike: There’s an old Wall Street axiom that it’s a fine line between being wrong and being early. I plead guilty to being early on that stock.
1 August 2000, Los Angeles (CA) Times, “Hits and Misses Amid the Ups and Downs of Turbulent Markets; Stock Exchange lets readers listen in as Times staff writers James Peltz and Michael Hiltzik debate merits of individual stocks,” part C, pg. 6:
Mike: Well, this exemplifies the adage that there’s a thin line between being wrong and being early. Look, doughnuts go stale.
Google Books
All about hedge funds:
The easy way to get started
By Robert A. Jaeger
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
2002
Pg. 232:
And in the investment business there’s no sharp line between being early and being wrong.
Michael L’s MySpace Blog
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
My Favorite Quotes
Category: Life
(...)
There’s a fine line between being wrong and being early.
Windows Live
Earnings Season to Test Market Rally
Will Stocks Weather Slower Gains in Profits?
Rising Oil Prices, Treasury Rates Cloud View
By PETER A. MCKAY
July 9, 2007; Page C1
(...)
“In the stock market, there’s a fine line between being wrong and being early,” says Mr. Millen, who expects that his portfolio focusing on big-name companies, including Dow components General Electric and 3M, will show overall 11% profit growth for the quarter.
The Motley Fool
When Things Can’t Get Any Worse
By Emil Lee
November 19, 2007
(...)
Trying to pinpoint the bottom can be a terrifying exercise. It’s often said there’s very little difference between being early and being wrong.
USAToday.com
Credit crisis still not behind Wall Street
Posted 6/7/2008 12:59 AM
By Joe Bel Bruno, AP Business Writer
(...)
“There’s a fine line between being early and being wrong,” said Johnson. “Its always the darkest before the dawn when it comes to value investing.”
Google Books
A bull for all seasons:
Main street strategies for finding the money in any market
By Robert J Froehlich
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional
2009
Pg. 101:
(There is such a fine line in this business between being wrong and being early.)
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
In choosing managers, patience is a virtue
There’s a reason we endeavour to be our money managers’ most patient client, says Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley
From Saturday’s Globe and Mail
Last updated on Monday, Feb. 08, 2010 06:10AM EST
(...)
The strategies that make up the other 40-plus per cent fall into two categories: the “flat-out wrongs” and the “too earlies.” The former are ones the manager will never get back – names such as Nortel, Enron, Citigroup and Timminco come to mind. The latter refers to strategies that eventually work out, but take longer than clients and partners can stand. There is an industry adage that says being wrong and being early are the same thing.