The intelligent investors authored by Benjamin Graham have been remarkable ever since its production and is still useful in the field of investment till date.

Written and publish in 1989 by Benjamin Graham, the book is produced to address the value of investing, the best approach to investment and the best way to identify the best project to invest in without panicking.

The intelligent investors has recorded over 1 million copies sold of which of one of its beneficiary is a popularly known business mogul, Warren Buffet who describe the book as “by far the best book on investing ever written”, I would be a little foolish to have never read it.

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Prior to the production of the book, the intelligent investors, Benjamin Graham has already been known to be a great economist and the production of his qualitative book made him known all over the world.

He was lauded for such an incredible effort and was called a genius in the field of finance and investment.
Mr Benjamin Graham was regarded as the father of value of investing courtesy of his book the intelligent investors.

A definitive book on value investing which evaluate companies surgical precision, and exposed  his secret on how he is always excelling at making money in the stock market without taking life threatening risks.

Warren Buffet had read the book the intelligent investors at 19 years before he decided to enroll at the Columbia Business School where the author of the book Benjamin Graham taught him and from there, they became friends.

Upon Buffet graduation from the school, he proceeded to work under Graham company for two years before leaving there after the company has been closed down after Grahams retirement from business activity.

Buffet therefore breakthrough into the business world as he was saddled with the responsibility to manage business financial of activities of several giant company and hence, the rest became a positive history.

According Buffet, the intelligent investors produced by Benjamin Graham is instrumental in making him a successful businessman and great intelligent investor.

He further revealed that the book had guided him throughout his investment career and that from the strategies and process that are contained in the book; he was able to succeed in the competitive market.

As revealed by investopedia.com, one of Graham’s key contributions was to point out the irrationality and group think that was often rampant in the stock market.

According to Graham, investors should always go for profit making from the spectrum of stock market, rather than just participate in it.

Four decades and still counting, his principles of of investing still have influence on investors of today.

15 things you should know about the intelligent investors

Below are the 15 good key takeaways you should know about the sacred book, the intelligent investor;

1. Learn from your mistake and never give up: 
   Graham had lost almost all his capital he had built up in the stock market when the market crash in 1928.
   The geek thus learned his lesson and realized that investment is all about taking a calculated risk. However, the author of intelligent investors, instead of quitting as expected went on to write security analysis which detailed his methods of analyzing and valuing securities and proceeded to by a stock of companies whose shares traded significantly below the company’s liquidations.
   Shortly after this purchase of new stocks came the great depression year where most business were marred but however, Graham still manage to get at about 20% of annual return through that time.
2. Investing is not betting, gambling or speculating
   Graham repurchases of stock after he had lost on the previous one was done during the time no one could as they are scared to risk their money but however, Graham did so with great returns and a low risk.
   Graham believes that investment should involve a certainty of the return of investment capital and a worthwhile return in excess of the inflation rate.
   This method was to object the widely held view that markets are efficient and steady vow to identify.
   He called this value investing or intrinsic value investing.
3. Reduction in taking an insatiable risk
   Graham always buttressed on how it is important to purchase an investment using a margin of safety and buying below true prices or intrinsic value.
   This is very significant because, it allows profit to appreciate as the market eventually gives new value to the asset.
   However, the margins of safety approach also give some protection on the downside if things don’t go as planned and the market may go worse.
   When investing in shares of a company, Graham tend to give attention to the liquidation value of a company while in property, he advised investors to consider things like; land value to limit downside risk.
4. The margin of safety
   According to Graham, one of the veritable idea of value investing is to purchase assets that has a lower price than it’s true value and then, hold them till they appreciate to their true value thus, earning a return on your investment.
   He stated that his goal was to purchase a dollar worth of assets for 50 cents and was able to succeed in achieving that.
5. Look over the horizon: “In the short term the market is a voting machine; in the long term it is a weighing machine,” Graham said.
   There are always going to be chicken litters on the hand to tell you that the sky is falling and that it’s now a terrible time to invest.
   Graham in his book the intelligent investors further revealed that in a short term investment, there no particular way of knowing what the market will do while over the long, the market may revert to the mean and reflect intrinsic value.
   Therefore, intelligent investors should look for an asset that will be in a huge demand over the long term, purchase and hold onto them till it increases in price.
6. Don’t under nor over invest in equities. Markets usually wash out occasionally and it is good to have some bonds available. While in under investment in equities, bonds can only do so much for you and it is good to deploy capital into equities when they are out of favor.
7. Stocks provide modest compensation against downside risk.
8. Purchase bargain issues on a net asset value basis when you can find them but be careful of quality issues.
9. Volatility of stock prices can be favorable to you if you know the underlying value of a well financed cooperation.
10. Investing for long term is valuable because, one can take advantage of short term fluctuations in prices.
11. It is most advisable for an investor to focus on the real life performance of their companies and the dividends they receive instead of paying attention to the changing sentiments of the market.
12. Give rapt attention to the balance sheet and don’t invest in a company that has lapses in terms of finance.
13. Buy your stock safe and cheap and avoid overpaying for growth and trendiness.
14. Graham also called for an investment approach that provides for a margin of safety or room for human error for the investor.
15. Significantly, intelligent investors should check for price value discrepancies and when the market price of a stock is less than its intrinsic value.

In conclusion, there is every tendency for you to make a bad investment during you investment career which usually happened. However, Graham is adamant that the intelligent investors have ensured themselves against any losses that a bad investment may result to.

Many investors usually have too much confidence in their decision, assuring themselves that they are right thus doing little or nothing to protect themselves against the consequences of being wrong. This attitude is fatal for an investor.