Before proceeding, however, it is important to distinguish between two common uses of the stock market: investing and speculation. Investing is when you hand over your money so that it is put to use for productive projects such as growth or expansion. Investing in a factory, in research and development, in a new business idea – these are all done with the expectation that in the future, the factory, the research, or the startup will be worth more than the original investment. That means you have a reason to believe the factory needs to be expanded, or that you understand broadly the type of research being done and what the payoff might be, or that you understand and believe in the business plan of the new venture. In other words, investing is a rational decision made with an eye to the future. When you invest, your money is intended to be put to work increasing value.
Speculation, on the other hand, is akin to gambling. Speculators purchase something with the hope that they can soon sell it at a higher price, but without necessarily understanding – or even caring – about why the price should go up. Sometimes, speculators have a gut feeling, or are trading on rumor, but ultimately they do not concern themselves with the factory, the R&D, or the business plan. Speculation should not always be viewed as a bad thing, however; speculators add liquidity to markets, and many have done very well for themselves. At the same time, many smart investors have lost their fortunes in the stock market through speculation. The important distinction between investors and speculators is not a normative one, but rather that investors are generally more interested in the processes underlying prices; they are in it for the long haul, while speculators are more interested in the price itself, and with shorter time horizons for making money.
Me = Investor
You = Speculator
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