Closing in on Christmas, headlines such as “Five stocks for your Christmas socks”, “What to expect in 2022” and, a favourite, “You must own these stocks next year”, cover the pages, virtual or physical, of many a financial and investment publication.
Fascinating, especially given the overwhelming evidence no one will be able to predict which stocks will do well next year, or the next, or the next.
Unfortunately, these headlines draw eyes and clicks. It is a human tendency to want to get advice on what the future will hold – to be told which stocks will do the best next year, even if we well know the predictions will most likely be wrong.
Unfortunately for the stock pickers, fortunately for investors, it is not about the best return next…