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For the Investor on Your List

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you’re recovering well from your turkey hangover. Thanksgiving is when we celebrate all that we are grateful for, but it’s also a holiday of retail deals, holiday sales and shopping. Many Americans start their seasonal gift buying on Black Friday, but if you didn’t join the shoppers yesterday , or if you have more presents to buy, this issue is for you. Today I’m going to highlight some of the best books for the investor on your gift list, all recommended by the Cabot editors.

For the Investor on Your List

Investment Books Recommended by Our Staff

In Case You Missed It

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I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you’re recovering well from your turkey hangover. Thanksgiving is a holiday where we celebrate all that we are grateful for, our friends and family, a long weekend and our health, among others. But it’s also a holiday of retail deals, holiday sales and shopping. Many Americans start their seasonal gift buying on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, waking up in the early morning hours to stand in the cold until stores begin their notoriously good sales.

You may have even joined the legions of shoppers yesterday, but if you didn’t, or if you have more presents to buy, this issue is for you. Today I’m going to highlight some of the best books for the investor on your gift list, all recommended by the Cabot editors. The market has taught us all a lot of lessons this year, but there’s always more to learn and a great investing book is the perfect way to get started. As Cabot’s founder, Carlton Lutts, was known to say about reading books, “All I’m looking for is one good idea.” Please email us or comment on the blog, http://www.iconoclast-investor.com, if you have any books to add to the list.

“How to Trade in Stocks” by Jesse L. Livermore, recommended by Michael Cintolo

In his 1940 book, “How to Trade in Stocks,” Jesse L. Livermore gives step-by-step guidance on reading market and stock behaviors, analyzing market sectors, market timing, money management and emotional control. Livermore, an investing legend, said there are just a handful of times each year when he would be active--near the intermediate-term turning points in the market. Other than that, he let his account his idle, either holding his winners, or patiently sitting in cash, preparing for the big swing when the market changed course.

“Hedgehogging” by Barton Biggs, recommended by Michael Cintolo

Barton Biggs, author of “Hedgehogging,” is a Morgan Stanley veteran who teamed up with a couple others to start his own hedge fund back in 2003. Much of the book is indeed about his efforts to start a hedge fund, but the best part is the first 100 pages or so, full of two to four page short investment stories about people he knew in the business. It was one of the best 100 pages we’ve ever read! This is the best kind of investment book because you can often glean many lessons and insights from reading about others’ investment troubles and successes.

“Technical Analysis and Stock Market Profits” by Richard Schabacker, recommended by Michael Cintolo

If you’re just beginning in the world of chart reading, this is a good guide. We don’t subscribe to all of the patterns he talks about, but it’s still a great place to start.

“Security Analysis” by Benjamin Graham, recommended by J. Royden Ward
Benjamin Graham’s classic book, “Security Analysis,” laid the framework for the value investing system. Individuals and Wall Street professionals consider the timeless book, published in 1934, an investing bible. “Security Analysis” thoroughly explains Graham’s value investing methods, including how to value stocks, the margin of safety and guidelines for successful investing.

“The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham, recommended by J. Royden Ward

Benjamin Graham penned “The Intelligent Investor” in 1949, and the book has since been called “by far the best book on investing ever written,” by Warren Buffet, one of Graham’s students and followers. Editor and analyst J. Royden Ward uses the criteria outlined in the book to select the stocks for the Classic Benjamin Graham Model found in the Cabot Benjamin Graham Value Letter.

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Discover Wall Street’s Hidden Treasures

One of the most common questions we get from investors is, “How can I get into fast-growing stocks sooner?” The answer: Cabot Small-Cap Confidential. This monthly investment advisory finds largely unknown stocks still selling for very low prices that have a new, revolutionary product and holds them until the market discovers their potential and they surge.

These stocks can explode once word gets out, but you can get in before anyone else even knows these investments exist. For instance, take Hansen Natural, which editor Thomas E. Garrity invested in when it was selling for a mere 1.71 in early 2004. The stock rocketed up 2,338% when he sold some of his position in February of this year.

If you want to discover stocks early and hold on patiently as they climb higher in price, this newsletter is for you. Subscriptions are strictly limited to 500, but the market crash has shaken some investors out, so we have a very small number of spots open. Click the link below to get started wile there’s room left.

http://www.cabot.net/info/csc/cscii05.aspx?source=wc01

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“How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market” by Nicolas Darvas, recommended by Timothy Lutts

In the book, “How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market,” by Nicolas Darvas (a professional dancer), the author details how he would have Barron’s shipped to him when on the road to see how various stocks had acted the previous week. Instead of reading through all the articles and opinions, he would simply throw everything away except for the quotes section. That way he could see what was happening in the market and make judgments without being influenced by news of the week. And it worked wonders! Our advice: Take a step back from the day-to-day news and gyrations. Instead, keep focused on the big picture. Yes, it’s fun and exciting to watch things unfold minute by minute, especially during these volatile times. But we contend you’ll make more money by ignoring the loudmouths on TV and just staying focused on the major trends.

“New Market Wizards,” “Market Wizards” and “Stock Market Wizards” by Jack Schwager, recommended by Michael Cintolo

Jack Schwager interviews top traders and investors to find investing insights. All of the books are highly recommended, and each is available cheaply in paperback. “New Market Wizards,” originally published in the early 1990s, contains an interview with William Eckhardt, who was actually a mathematician. The interview touches on the personal side of investing and getting in tune with your own tendencies, which will help you avoid repeating the same mistakes. The books contain many more helpful interviews and you are guaranteed to learn some things, about the market and yourself. In “Market Wizards,” “Reminiscences of a Stock Operator” was quoted as a major source of stock trading learning material for traders by many of the people who Schwager interviewed.

“Inside the Investor’s Brain” by Richard L. Peterson, recommended by Paul Goodwin

“Inside the Investor’s Brain” provides investors with the tools they need to understand how emotions and mental biases affect the way they react to market movements and how they manage money. Author Richard Peterson provides readers with techniques for understanding their own financial psychology, so that they can improve their performance. “Inside the Investor’s Brain” discusses many mental traps and how they play a role in investing. This book contains descriptions of the work of neuroscientists, financial practitioners and psychologists, offering an expert’s view into the mind of the market.

“One Up on Wall Street” by Peter Lynch, recommended by Timothy Lutts

In “One Up on Wall Street,” Peter Lynch writes about his theory that average investors can become experts in their field and pick winning stocks as well as Wall Street professionals just by doing some research. The author writes that there are many investment opportunities for the average investor that can be found by observing business developments and taking notice of what’s going on in the world. Lynch writes that investors will be rewarded in the long run if they ignore the fluctuations of the market and speculation about interest rates.

“Winning on Wall Street” by Martin Zweig, recommended by Timothy Lutts

Financial adviser Martin Zweig has been fascinated by the stock market since childhood, especially the buying and selling of stocks to make money. The book contains a clear and detailed analysis of market trends, interest rates, Federal Reserve policy, volume and market momentum, among other things, that carries the technical side of stock market theory about as far as it can go. In the book, Zweig calls Jesse L. Livermore one of his heroes and recommends the 1923 book, “Reminiscences of a Stock Operator” by Edwin Lefevre.

“Reminiscences of a Stock Operator” by Edwin Lefevre, recommended by the entire Cabot staff

“Reminiscences of a Stock Operator,” published in 1923, is the classic tale of the fictionalized life of one of the most flamboyant and successful investors ever, Jesse L. Livermore. The book tells the story of Livermore’s progression from day trading in the so-called New England “bucket shops,” to market speculator, market manipulator and finally to Wall Street where he made and lost his fortune several times over. Along the way, Livermore learns and teaches many lessons. Despite the book’s age, it continues to offer amazing insights into the art of trading and speculation. This book is probably the favorite among in-the-know investors-and among all of us here at Cabot. It’s also cited repeatedly in two of the books on our list, Jack Schwager’s “Market Wizards” and Martin Zweig’s “Winning on Wall Street.”

I hope this list helped you decide what to get the investor on your holiday shopping list. If you have another investment book to recommend, please send it to us through email or on our blog, http://www.iconoclast-investor.com.

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Take Advantage of the Stock Market’s Bargains

Many great stocks have plunged along with the market and are now selling at bargain prices. But these stocks won’t be cheap forever. Smart investors are snapping up these deals every time the market goes down.

But how do you know which stocks to buy?

Our brand new special report, “Cabot’s 10 Favorite Low-Priced Stocks for 2009,” guides you to the highest-quality low-priced stocks available. These stocks, all priced below $10, have enormous potential in the coming year. Many of the stocks in last year’s report were up 70% or more in just five months ... with one rocketing all the way to 170% in only six months.

Click the link below to reserve your copy today.

https://secure.netatlantic.com/cabot/lpsrii01ec01.html

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In case you didn’t get a chance to read all the issues of Cabot Wealth Advisory this week and want to catch up on any investing and stock tips you might have missed, we have links below to each issue.

Cabot Wealth Advisory 11/24/08 - A Good Time for a Vacation

On Monday, Timothy Lutts recounted his recent journey to India, where he spent two weeks surrounded by both beauty and poverty in one of the world’s fastest growing countries. Tim enjoyed the incredible sights, delicious food and meeting the friendly people, but noted the terrible road conditions and high rate of impoverishment. Tim’s investment advice focused on a growing education company. Featured Stock: Strayer Education (STRA)

http://www.cabot.net/Issues/CWA/Archives/2008/11/A-Strong-Education-Stock.aspx

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Cabot Wealth Advisory 11/27/08 - There’s no Free Lunch on Wall Street

On Thursday, Michael Cintolo wrote about his idea for locking in low gasoline prices, by buying some of the exchange-traded fund that tracks gasoline futures. Mike also warned investors about companies promising to pay high dividends when most others are paying in the low single digits. Mike discussed a discount retailer that’s benefiting from the economy’s downturn. Featured Stock: U.S. Gasoline Fund (UGA) and Dollar Tree (DLTR).

http://www.cabot.net/Issues/CWA/Archives/2008/11/No-Free-Lunch-on-Wall-Street.aspx

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Until next time,

Elyse Andrews
Editor of Cabot Wealth Advisory

Editor’s Note: Not too long ago, editor Brendan Coffey recommended the book, “You Too Can Be a Stock Market Genius” by Joel Greenblatt, in Cabot Green Investor. Brendan relays this nugget from the book: “There are stocks that are overlooked by the market for reasons not related to fundamentals ... odd ducks that don’t attract analyst coverage and are unloved by the masses, at least for a time. These stocks provide a much higher chance of making money once the market recognizes their value.” While Green was hot in 2007, with solar stocks rocketing up higher and higher, many investments in this sector are largely unknown. But Brendan is busy building a Watch List of solid stocks that are poised to break out once the market turns around, including many small American Green companies. Be the first to know about these great companies when you take a subscription today.

https://www.cabot.net/info/cgi/cgiii06.aspx?source=wc01

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Elyse Andrews, is a contributor and former editor of Cabot Wealth Daily, focusing on educational topics on finance, the stock market and individual stocks.