In times of geopolitical uncertainty and war, the temptation for investors to try to time the market is strong. It may seem simple: sell high and buy low. But experience shows that those who attempt to time the market almost always end up lagging behind. Moreover, you need to get your timing right twice: first when you exit the market, and second when you re-enter.
Strongest market days
Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, recently emphasized this once again. He points out that the most worrying news often coincides with the strongest market days. This may sound counterintuitive, but historical data clearly supports it. Every dollar that remained continuously invested in the U.S. S&P 500 index over the past twenty years grew more than eightfold. However, those who missed the ten best market days ended up with less than half that value.
The issue is clear: these strong market days are impossible to predict. They often occur in the middle of a storm, when news is negative and investor sentiment is low. Those who exit the market at such moments miss not only the downturn but also the recovery that follows.
Time at Work
Investing is therefore less about timing and much more about time in the market. Calmness, discipline, and a long-term horizon remain the most powerful tools for achieving solid returns. Those guided by short-term anxiety risk focusing on noise and losing sight of what truly matters. A wiser approach is to follow a consistent strategy and let time do its work — “time at work.”
Consistent strategy
This brings us to the core of our investment philosophy: following Warren Buffett’s example, we invest exclusively in companies with attractive cash flows, strong balance sheets, and sustainable competitive advantages — ideally when they are undervalued by the market. These selection criteria provide a solid foundation for sustainable long-term returns.
An article published in Regio Business, May 2026
