Fair enough. I've got a few ideas why some people might bother...

Fair enough. I've got a few ideas why some people might bother with charting.

People have different time frames. From your post it would appear you're happy to wait around 6 - 8 years to start seeing a return on your investment. I, for one, have much shorter time horizons when I put my money somewhere.

Some people are also not blessed with mates who work as the CEO of a mining company who know other CEOs of mining companies.

Fundamentals are incredibly important but you've probably come across stocks where despite some great fundamentals, they just don't seem to appreciate much in price. People on HotCopper will tell you that the market is 'sleeping on this one' and that they'll wake up soon etc etc. A quick check of the charts will give you a good indication of how the market views a particular investment without even having to do a deep dive into the company.

For me, fundamentals and charting go hand in hand particularly in getting when looking to time entry and exits. If you learn a little about charting, it's also a lot of fun and interesting too. I like to keep learning and this is one of the areas I spend my spare time.