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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Adaptive Markets summary
Andrew W. Lo
Financial Evolution at the Speed of Thought
20 mins
Brief summary
Adaptive Markets by Andrew W. Lo is a breakthrough book on finance that explains the evolutionary nature of financial markets and how it can risk management, investment strategies and decision making.
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Adaptive Markets
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Key idea 1 of 8
The Efficient Market Hypothesis is the most widely accepted theory for how the market works.
If you’ve taken an Economics 101 course, you’ve probably heard about the predominant theory about how the markets work: the Efficient Market Hypothesis, or EMH for short.
In a nutshell, EMH theory suggests that the price of stocks, bonds and similar investment assets will always provide an accurate reflection of the health, profitability and general value of a company.
In recent years, it’s become widely accepted that the EMH isn’t perfect, but academics and leading experts in the investment sector still regard it as the best theory out there.
To see the EMH in action, let’s look at the company Morton Thiokol, which helped make rockets for NASA in the 1980s, including the faulty piece of equipment that was found to cause the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in 1986. It made perfect sense that the value of Morton Thiokol shares plummeted in the minutes following the Challenger disaster because the company had just encountered a serious setback.
The EMH works because it takes into account the collective wisdom of all the investors who are constantly analyzing the market and reflecting their best assessments of how well businesses will do in the price they’re willing to buy and sell their assets at. It’s generally agreed that by putting together all these active financial minds, you’ll get a fairly accurate reflection of a company’s value.
Now, given this high regard for the EMH’s accuracy, it is also considered highly unlikely that anyone can “beat the market,” which would involve spotting something that everyone else has missed. And since you can’t beat the market, the standard advice is to “join the market” by investing in long-term, low-risk index funds, or mutual funds, which comprise a collection of stocks that will remain more or less untouched over time.
By sticking with index funds for a long period, a patient investor can expect to take advantage of the stock market’s gradual increase in value over time. It was these standard principles of EMH that led John Bogle to create the Vanguard Index Trust, the first mutual fund, in 1976.
Since then, the index and mutual fund businesses have become a multi-trillion-dollar staple of the finance industry.
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What is Adaptive Markets about?
Adaptive Markets (2017) is about a new economic theory that helps us better understand the human element behind financial markets. Andrew W. Lo expertly illustrates the shortcomings of current prevailing economic theories, showing us how finance is less like physics or math and more like a responsive and evolving organism – not unlike ourselves.
Adaptive Markets Review
Adaptive Markets (2017) by Andrew W. Lo is a thought-provoking exploration of the dynamic nature of financial markets and the role of human behavior in shaping them. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It presents a comprehensive analysis of adaptive market theory, blending insights from economics, biology, and psychology to provide a holistic view.
- Through real-world examples and case studies, the book offers valuable insights into the practical applications of adaptive market theory in investing and risk management.
- With its accessible language and engaging storytelling, the book makes complex concepts approachable, ensuring readers stay engaged from start to finish.
Best quote from Adaptive Markets
Fear is the hardwired fire alarm of the brain, metaphorically setting off the sprinkler systems and calling the fire department, sometimes even faster than we know or can follow.
—Andrew W. Lo
Who should read Adaptive Markets?
- Investors interested in finance and how the market works
- Readers interested in the science of money
- Students of economics
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Adaptive Markets FAQs
What is the main message of Adaptive Markets?
Adaptive Markets explores the role of evolutionary processes in shaping financial markets and offers insights for investors.
How long does it take to read Adaptive Markets?
The estimated reading time for Adaptive Markets is a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in 15 minutes.
Is Adaptive Markets a good book? Is it worth reading?
Adaptive Markets is worth reading. It provides a fresh perspective on finance and offers practical applications for navigating the markets.
Who is the author of Adaptive Markets?
The author of Adaptive Markets is Andrew W. Lo.
What to read after Adaptive Markets?
If you're wondering what to read next after Adaptive Markets, here are some recommendations we suggest:
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- On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
- The Upside of Your Dark Side by Todd Kashdan and Robert Biswas-Diener
- Interviewology by Anna Papalia
- Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday
- Either/Or by Soren Kierkegaard