Gold price, page-3686

"Now I need to learn about TA and how to read a financial report."

G'day slimw. This is a long one.

TA and FA are for those whose bends of minds enjoy tracking specific data trends and the minutiae of details.

If that's not for you, then there's also the third option: macros, which is watching and analysing major happenings around the world (big picture stuff) and fine-tuning your intuition to glean opportunities arising out of the big picture. As you can understand fine-tuning your hot rod engine for better road performance, so you can understand fine-tuning your intuition for better investment returns.

What's this intuition? To be honest, that's just me using fancy expression to suggest "common sense and life experience" as the third option. Our grandparents' generation and those before had had to rely on the same because TA didn't exist then and very few were schooled in FA. They had done not too badly for themselves, you know.

So, it's not that you lack investment skills. More that you have to correctly choose amongst your range of existing skills the right ones to apply. It's rather like what the philosopher Socrates had argued in "Meno"; but no, don't go there to learn 'cos it's as complicated as, if not worse than, TA or FA.

Did you watch the excellent TV series called The Wire? It's based on real life and gives good narratives on people coming from disadvantaged backgrounds but having inherent skills (aka common sense and experience) to achieve their ambitions even though that sets them in conflict with the Law. Maybe if they had also used other inherent skills, then they could have risen above the conflict too.

Here're some macros for you to mull over. There's still enough time, so no rush.
- Gold bull run perhaps over the next few years because of out-of-control global debt.
- Currently, 440 nuclear plants in operation and more than 60 new ones in construction. There is severe lack of investment into uranium mining since Fukushima. Demand forecast to exceed supply in 1-2 years.
- Zinc stock is depleting for same reason of inadequate investment and demand is forecast to exceed supply in 1-2 years.
- Recreational and commercial uses of drones are forecast to increase exponentially in 1-2 years. World leaders have commented about the potential risks of attacks using drones. Companies have commented about infringement of IP rights. So far, there isn't much technology available to "combat" these undesirable airborne drones. ASX-listed D13 has one of those few technologies in late stage development and has signed a few defence contracts.
- Internet-of-all-things (IOT) is the next big thing for gadgets and commercial/consumer conveniences in 1-2 years. It's BIG.

From the above, take heart that there're always the next trains coming in in 1-2 years if you missed the earlier one. All the best and cheers. R.