Still, it seems a minimum level of understanding is certainly...

Still, it seems a minimum level of understanding is certainly attainable. There is no shortage of access to the common ratios that lay bare a companies underbelly. Investing confidently is a lot more reasonable when looking at a 10 year hx of fundamentals and really this can easily be done at a glance these days.

I still shake my head at having bought speccy mining shares (a long time ago when I was bigger c-head), companies with non-existent fundamentals and being excited at the prospects. An absolute disregard for this type of investment is a sure sign of having a minimum level of understanding of fundamentals.

While many posters on hot copper have an enviable grasp of a whole other level of micro-analysis, madamswer et al., it is reassuring, i suppose, that, as madamswer says, you start to enter into 'the realm of the law of diminishing returns in terms of effort-to-reward.'

Meanwhile, I am on my 8th book, most of which I have read twice. The intelligent Investor, I have only read once and disappointingly, I failed to comprehend much of what BG was saying. Sadly there is a cost, as my wife is, for all intents and purposes widowed!