The final episode of Jesse Livermore’s market insights is one that dive into an often overlooked concept: holding dead money positions. As an early pioneer in the world of market speculation, Jesse Livermore had an uncanny ability to recognize when a stock was about to take off in value or drop like a stone – he just had the intuition to see the signals and act upon them. However, he also had a simple approach for handling those “dead money” stocks, those that remain stagnant in the market and don’t offer any sort of returns.
That approach was to simply hold onto it. He argued that these stocks were like “dead money” in the market because they don’t offer any excitement or excitement, yet they also don’t offer investors the same type of long-term returns that can be gained from other investments. Livermore suggested holding onto dead money positions and waiting for them to eventually produce returns.
This approach of patiently waiting for a return may seem counterintuitive to some investors, yet Livermore’s outlook on the matter was spot on. Being patient with these “dead money” stocks can lead to long-term returns that are greater than if you dump them as soon as a return doesn’t come your way. For these types of stocks, Livermore suggested what he called a “calculated position” – investors who wait for the right conditions to present themselves before investing and expecting returns.
Ultimately, Livermore’s advice has been proven wise over the years, as patient investors who wait for a return on their dead money positions have usually come out ahead in the long-run. While it can be tempting to try and ride the wave of stock gains or potential profits, having the self-discipline to wait for the right conditions and timing to invest and reap rewards can easily pay off in the long-term. Today, millions of investors have taken Jesse Livermore’s advice to heart and put it to practice, and it’s been a great success for many.