"Most companies listed on the share market are rubbish — they just have good periods"

Although blue-chip stocks ‘‘have some fabulous periods’’ these are invariably ‘‘followed by long and unexplained lean periods’’. So Kidman says treat the market like a game of snakes and ladders. ‘‘Your job is to jump from ladder to ladder.’’

But in the end it’s the quality of management that makes the difference and it’s a hard call. ... And don’t be your own worst enemy by being subjective about your stocks. Kidman says: ‘‘View your portfolio as if you had inherited it from someone else.’’

Bulls, Bears and a Croupier: The Insider's Guide to Profiting from the Australian Stock market, By Matthew Kidman