At a time when stocks, bonds and metals are seeing wild swings, Radhika Gupta believes investors need to rethink how they respond to market noise. Referring to a popular investing analogy, the Edelweiss Mutual Fund CEO says this is a good moment to revisit the idea of being a “goldfish” investor — someone who stays calm, focused and unaffected by constant distractions.
According to Gupta, markets are always full of “cats” — voices, trends and advice that constantly try to disturb investors. These “cats”, are pushing people to make emotional decisions, like selling midcap stocks to rush into silver, often at the worst possible time, and then doing the opposite when the cycle turns.
She posted on social media platform X that, “Cats are always on the prowl trying to disturb you as an investor... telling you to redeem midcap and move to silver (often at the worst time)... And vice versa.”
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Referring to her earlier post made in 2021, Gupta said that be a goldfish investor. A lot of noise, news and social media is out there to agitate you, make you squirm and scream and change direction. Don’t let it get to you. Corrections come, like those neighbourhood cats. But they also end.
This constant switching between assets, driven by fear and noise rather than strategy, is one of the biggest reasons investors fail to build long-term wealth.
She points out that extreme volatility across asset classes makes this behaviour even more dangerous. When stocks, bonds and commodities all swing sharply, investors chase whatever is performing well at that moment and abandon what is temporarily underperforming. This creates a cycle of buying high and selling low — the exact opposite of successful investing.
Radhika Gupta’s idea of being a “goldfish” investor is about mental discipline. Goldfish are funny animals. They swim peacefully in their bowl. They don’t bark or howl at night, they don’t ruffle their feathers. They just keep taking circles of the bowl, in the same boring, almost idiotic way.
A goldfish is not distracted by noise, fear or constant movement around it. Similarly, investors should focus on their long-term goals, asset allocation and investment plan, rather than reacting to daily headlines, social media trends or short-term market movements.
“Your portfolio may gasp, but markets do settle back to equilibrium, just like the water bowl. What’s important is to silently keep swimming towards your goals,” Gupta said.
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She emphasises that wealth is not built by jumping from one asset to another based on short-term performance. It is built through consistency, patience and staying invested across market cycles. Switching between midcaps, metals, equities or any asset class purely based on fear or excitement usually leads to poor outcomes.
One should always consider risk appetite, investment horizon, and goals before making any investment decisions.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
According to Gupta, markets are always full of “cats” — voices, trends and advice that constantly try to disturb investors. These “cats”, are pushing people to make emotional decisions, like selling midcap stocks to rush into silver, often at the worst possible time, and then doing the opposite when the cycle turns.
She posted on social media platform X that, “Cats are always on the prowl trying to disturb you as an investor... telling you to redeem midcap and move to silver (often at the worst time)... And vice versa.”
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Referring to her earlier post made in 2021, Gupta said that be a goldfish investor. A lot of noise, news and social media is out there to agitate you, make you squirm and scream and change direction. Don’t let it get to you. Corrections come, like those neighbourhood cats. But they also end.
This constant switching between assets, driven by fear and noise rather than strategy, is one of the biggest reasons investors fail to build long-term wealth.
She points out that extreme volatility across asset classes makes this behaviour even more dangerous. When stocks, bonds and commodities all swing sharply, investors chase whatever is performing well at that moment and abandon what is temporarily underperforming. This creates a cycle of buying high and selling low — the exact opposite of successful investing.
Radhika Gupta’s idea of being a “goldfish” investor is about mental discipline. Goldfish are funny animals. They swim peacefully in their bowl. They don’t bark or howl at night, they don’t ruffle their feathers. They just keep taking circles of the bowl, in the same boring, almost idiotic way.
A goldfish is not distracted by noise, fear or constant movement around it. Similarly, investors should focus on their long-term goals, asset allocation and investment plan, rather than reacting to daily headlines, social media trends or short-term market movements.
“Your portfolio may gasp, but markets do settle back to equilibrium, just like the water bowl. What’s important is to silently keep swimming towards your goals,” Gupta said.
Also Read | Thinking of pausing your mutual fund SIPs? A 6 month gap may cost you Rs 2 lakh additional loss
She emphasises that wealth is not built by jumping from one asset to another based on short-term performance. It is built through consistency, patience and staying invested across market cycles. Switching between midcaps, metals, equities or any asset class purely based on fear or excitement usually leads to poor outcomes.
One should always consider risk appetite, investment horizon, and goals before making any investment decisions.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
