This is indeed a great hobby, I mean stock picking. Even someone over sixty learns new things daily, though old things probably start to fade from memory at the same time 
. This hobby doesnât have to be driven by profits; one can choose, for example, impact investing. However, the average forum member still has several decades to spend on Earth, and many have offspring who might still be alive in the 22nd century.
Of course, profits are an added spice, but everyone is free to choose their risk level and where they want to invest. I, for one, would never invest in the arms industry, under any circumstances. Itâs worth remembering that when these state-of-the-art weapons are developed, at some point in history, some dictator or general will want to test how they perform in a real situation. Then, ordinary civilians, like you or me, will suffer alongside soldiers. A credible national defense is, of course, a separate matter.
As @Masse once stated, âThis is a hobby you sometimes have to pay for.â No oneâs portfolio goes from win to win; there will inevitably be periods of poor returns, even for years. However, letâs keep our eyes on the ball. If small-cap companies are considered good investment targets, then with lowered valuation multiples, they probably still are. Even my portfolio, which has relied more on large dividend-paying companies, has recently seen âgadgetsâ like Admicom, Deete (Detection Technology), Qt, Remedy, and Revenio . Of course, I havenât forgotten dividend companies either; cash flow must come from somewhere. Itâs quite possible that for small-cap companies, light at the end of the tunnel wonât appear until the end of this decade or even the 2030s, as the geopolitical plates are currently in such strong motion that uncertainty will likely continue, and large companies will be favored in the markets.
If the stock-picking game feels too tough, thereâs no shame in switching to index investing. One can just as easily research the companies they own through an index if they are interested.
At the same time, I encourage everyone to physically attend a companyâs annual general meeting at least once in their life. I admit that as a resident of Helsinki, itâs considerably easier since most companies hold their meetings here, but they can also be found in Oulu, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa, and elsewhere across Finland. A single share owner can participate just as happily as a millionaire owner. Naturally, not everyone can attend a meeting held in the middle of the day due to work obstacles, but for example, NoHo is holding its meeting, known for its real dividends, in Tampere this year at 5:00 PM. A âperfect matchâ can surely be found by browsing the annual general meeting section on the Inderes homepage. Besides, the trip can be combined with the idea of exploring a new city at the same time; one can easily bring their better half, as long as they remember to mark them as an assistant during registration.
The annual general meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet other shareholders and to discuss with the companyâs management. For example, just this past week, there was an opportunity to talk with Hannu Martola, the CEO of DeeTee (Detection Technology). Often, at smaller company meetings, the atmosphere is more immediate; at larger meetings, the sheer number of people can make it difficult to clear a path to, say, Nordeaâs Vang-Jensen for a chat .
These are my thoughts for this time, without any particular guiding star. Remember to go outside this weekend and recharge your batteries; Monday will probably be another down day on the stock market .
Or in between, or neither 
