The media loves hype. It is exciting, it is engaging, and it can be quite fun. Who doesn’t want to invest in the next big thing…especially when everyone else is talking about it.
Hype is Alluring
When a company or stock is hyped, it can be very difficult to steer clear. Our brains are attracted to things that elicit emotions – whether that emotion is fear or excitement.
When something is exciting and everyone is doing it, it can be fun to be part of the crowd. It can also, subconsciously, cause us to underestimate the risk of an investment. After all, what could possibly go wrong with something everyone loves???
Hype Does Not Guarantee Profits
One of the dangers of hype is that it can mask fundamentals. Hype causes us to see things through rose-colored glasses. We dismiss the yellow flags and focus entirely on what we hope about what is being hyped.
WeWork is a great example. Valued at $47 billion in January 2019, it attempted to go public in September at $15 billion (that is right – at a 65% discount). But yet even that valuation was too rich. One month later, WeWork was valued at less than $8 billion. It lost 50% of its value in one month with no change in fundamentals. So, what happened?
The hype wore off.
Joanna Amberger
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
3 Financial Group
1888 Kalakaua Avenue, Suite C312
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.791.2925
www.3FinancialGroup.com
©2019 The Behavioral Finance Network. Used with Permission
