Friday, August 12, 2011

FinancialEdge: Just How Smart Is Wall Street?

Individual investors see a steady stream of paeans to Wall Street, praising not only the substantial resources of professional investors, but also suggesting (sometimes subtly, sometimes not) that these professionals are smarter and more capable than the average investor. While there are certainly plenty of columns out there decrying the mistakes of professional investors and pointing out that disciplined individuals can do just as well, the fact remains that the financial media overwhelmingly tilts towards the idea that Wall Street is smarter than you or me.


But is it really? The word "smart" has plenty of definitions, but Wall Street has such a peculiar inability to learn from certain mistakes that it seems worthwhile to question just how smart the Street really is.

They Can't Stay Away From the Bubbles 
Nothing of any real size can happen in the investment world without the involvement of institutional investors. So while retail investors are often dismissed as the "dumb" money, it is the professionals who ultimately add the most air to investment bubbles.

To read the full piece, please click below:
http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0811/Just-How-Smart-Is-Wall-Street.aspx

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