buy low, sell high

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Proverb

[edit]

buy low, sell high

  1. (business, finance) Commonplace investment advice, recommending that a prospective investor purchase an asset at a low cost and sell it later for a high price.
    • 1979 March 26, Gerald Clarke, “Books: Man Behind The Tube”, in Time, retrieved 5 October 2015:
      [T]he art of broadcasting, writes William Paley, "is to know what the public is seeking before the public even knows it is looking for something else." As a guide, that advice is about as useful as buy low, sell high.
    • 2006 December 11, John P. Reese, “Buying High, Selling Higher”, in Forbes, retrieved 5 October 2015:
      The old investment adage “buy low, sell high” makes perfect intuitive sense, but folks like William O’Neil would prefer to “buy high and sell higher.”
    • 2011 May 14, Jennifer Hill, “The 10 biggest investment pitfalls (and how to avoid them)”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 5 October 2015:
      Any savvy investor knows the basic principle of investment: buy low, sell high.

Usage notes

[edit]
  • Often used in a humorous manner, since this advice is too trite and vague to be helpful in specific situations.

Translations

[edit]

See also

[edit]