I try to do my own research into the future by looking at the fundamentals of an industry sector and the company and its potential upside.
For example, given economic uncertainty and the inflationary pressures arising out of US polices, I see 2011 as being key years for gold and silver. IMO, 2011 will also be good year for that most basic of fuels for domestic and industry consumption in China and India - namely, coal. Over the next couple of years, a key industry sector to watch is rare earths or REEs, which will be company-making years for the likes of LYC, ALK, ARU, GGG, etc.
On the other hand, if a company stock has major exposure to Africa or South America, I foresee the importance of assessing political risk and how can that be minimised. See what happened to NKW
The reason behind my approach is that often, by the time it appears in the share price, good investment opportunities may be missed. The horse has already bolted!
However, I agree that it IS useful to have both approaches. So I will also watch for Sandybeach posts.
