Benjamin Graham

This article is about a British economist. For information on the Australian AFL and NFL player, see Ben Graham.

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Benjamin Graham (1894 – 1976) was an influential economist and professional investor who is today often called "the father of value investing".

Related Topics:
1894 - 1976 - Economist - Value investing

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He is perhaps best known today from frequent references made to him by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who studied under Graham at Columbia University, and was his only pupil to receive an A+. Warren Buffett credits Graham as grounding him with a sound intellectual investment framework, and described him as the second most influential person in his life after his own father.

Related Topics:
Warren Buffett - Columbia University

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Graham, a Jew, whose original last name was Grossbaum, was born in London and his family emigrated to the United States when he was a year old. He received his bachelor's degree from Columbia University in 1914.

Related Topics:
Jew - London - United States - Bachelor's degree - Columbia University - 1914

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His book, Security Analysis, with David Dodd, was published in 1934 and has been considered a bible for serious investors since it was written. It and The Intelligent Investor published in 1949 (4th edition, 1976), are his two most widely acclaimed books. Warren Buffett describes The Intelligent Investor as the best investment book ever written.

Related Topics:
Security Analysis - David Dodd - 1934 - The Intelligent Investor - 1949

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Graham exhorted the stock market participant to first draw a fundamental distinction between investment and speculation. He defined an investment operation as one which on a thorough analysis of the facts promises safety of principal and a satisfactory return; anything else is speculation.

Related Topics:
Investment - Speculation

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Graham wrote that the owner of equity stocks should regard them first and foremost as conferring part ownership of a business. With that perspective in mind, the stock owner should not be too concerned with erratic fluctuations in stock prices, since in the short term, the stock market behaves like a voting machine, but in the long term it acts like a weighing machine (i.e. its true value will in the long run be reflected in its stock price).

Related Topics:
Stock - Stock market

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Graham recommended that investors spend time and effort to analyze the financial state of companies. When a company is available on the market at a price which is at a discount to its intrinsic value, a "margin of safety" exists, which makes it suitable for investment.

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Graham wrote that investment is most intelligent when it is most business-like, a statement which Warren Buffett regarded as the most important words about investment ever written. Graham said that the stock investor is neither right nor wrong because others agreed or disagreed with him; he is right because his facts and analysis are right.

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Graham's favourite allegory is that of Mr. Market, a very obliging fellow who turns up every day at the stock holder's door offering to buy or sell his shares at a different price. Often, the price quoted by Mr. Market seems plausible, but often it is ridiculous. The investor is free to either agree with his quoted price and trade with him, or to ignore him completely. Mr. Market doesn't mind this, and will be back the following day to quote another price. The point is that the investor should not regard the whims of Mr. Market as determining the value of the shares that the investor owns. He should profit from market folly rather than participate in it. The investor is best off concentrating on the real life performance of his companies and receiving dividends, rather than be too concerned with Mr. Market's often irrational behaviour.

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Graham was critical of the corporations of his day for obfuscated and irregular financial reporting that made it difficult for investors to discern the true state of the business's finances. He was an advocate of dividend payments to shareholders rather than businesses keeping all of their profits as retained earnings. He also criticized those who advised that some types of stocks were a good buy at any price, because of the prospect of sustained stock price growth, without a good analysis of the business's actual financial condition. These observations remain extremely relevant today.

Related Topics:
Financial reporting - Dividend - Retained earnings

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Benjamin Graham wrote that he wished every day to do something foolish, something creative, and something generous. Warren Buffett said that Graham excelled most at the last. Undoubtedly, Graham's generosity in sharing his investment philosophy has benefitted generations of stock market participants.

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