Reap gains from dialogue and engagement for long-haul investing

INVESTING is hard work, made harder by the quantity (but not always quality) of information available. Investors are exposed to countless commentaries and views from experts and talking heads, more often than not with strong conviction one way or the other.

One skill of the long-term investor is knowing what to pay attention to, and what to ignore; short-term "noise" can not only be a distraction, but an expensive one. Investors should instead focus on what's important - whether a company is well­ managed, managed fairly, and managed for the long term.

Easier said than done. But certainly easier if investors focus on fundamentals rather than sentiment, data rather than drama, and circumspection rather than exuberance.