Do You Have the Guts to Buy Low and Sell High?: Louis James

Source: JT Long of The Gold Report (8/10/12)

It's so outrageously simple that few investors can actually do it: buy low and sell high. The manic highs and lows of the market are actually good news for those investors who have mastered the discipline of buying low and waiting, according to Louis James, the senior editor of the International Speculator and Casey Investment Alert. In this exclusive interview with The Gold Report, James talks about how not to be fooled into timing the market and how he finds value in precious metals by scouring some knock-out jurisdictions like Mexico and China.

The Gold Report: In a recent Casey Research article you asked investors if they are brave enough to buy low. It's difficult to be a true contrarian and have the guts to buy when everyone else is selling. What guidelines do you give people who need reassurance in markets like these?

Louis James: It's good news and bad news. There really aren't reassurances. No matter how far down something has gone, until it hits zero, it can still go down farther. The good news is that precisely for this reason, markets tend to overdo things. They are volatile. They fluctuate. They get manic and go too high, and get depressive and go too low. But that's actually good for those with the discipline to buy.

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So, when's the right time to buy? The answer is that there is no right time. You don't try to time the market. That's the fool's game. You look for value. If something you'd be happy to own at $1/share is now at $0.50/share—that's a great buy. Can it go lower? Yes. But it can also go higher and is a better deal than when you first liked it. If you buy value, you increase the odds of coming out ahead of the game, regardless of whether or not the stock goes down before it goes up.

I hate to say it, but really there's a reason why it's hard to buy low and sell high. It's so logical. It's so simple. But so hard for most people to do.

Cheers

W.C. Guy