The Hultian Spring 2017 | Page 50

What's Behind Millennials Favorite Brands Juan Bernardo Pinto Hult Undergrad London n his book One Up on Wall Street, guru investor and bestselling author Peter Lynch advises the reader to stop listening to Wall Street “professionals” and take their investments into their own hands. The reason for this advice is I that the non-experts have many advantages over Wall Street analysts, which is a rare but valuable piece of advice coming from a guy that was a Wall Street portfolio manager himself. The advantages average millennial Joes and Janes have over the professional investors are that we know the companies, brands and products we consume in our daily lives. Since the beginning of the 21st century, we’ve seen a rising wave of consumer activism around the world. People are increasingly more interested in knowing how the products they consume are made, where the raw materials and labor behind those products are sourced from, and the way companies interact with their communities. Increasingly, consumers around the world know the governance practices behind those companies and have an unprecedented access to the information of any company. The age of social media helps us to keep informed of everything happening in the world. We know if a company is doing well, what we and our friends shop, what they eat, what are the new trends in the world of business, etc. All the information you need to know if a company is doing well and if you could make money investing is right there in front of your eyes. Once you know of a company that you think is going to do great or still has significant growth potential, it is time to do your homework. Some of us that are fresh out of school or college still have traumas about the nightmares caused by our teachers’ homework, but I promise this is much less boring and frustrating than your high school assignments. Doing proper research in a company before you invest your money in it is 50