Stock Investing used to be a lot about understanding ratios like PE, EPS, forecasts, market share etc....it still is - but it's much more now about identifying short term and long term technological trends and how they integrate with human nature ( and therefore Politics & Economics ) at a micro level and, where Humanity is headed at a macro level. This has become especially significant in view of the fact that the pace of change has increased so much that the constancy — and therefore businesses — that we took for granted till just the last generation has gone for a toss. A garage, dormitory ( or even anonymous ) upstart like Google, Amazon, Facebook ( or Bitcoin ! ) can become a household name in just a few years and old stalwarts like Kodak, Nokia or Yahoo can disappear in an even shorter period of time !

Investors therefore need to stay constantly updated with technological trends because financial fundamentals stay fairly constant. And it's human nature that decides which technologies — and therefore products — will click and which not. A successful investor will therefore need to be not just a financial analyst but also have a firm grip on Psychology, Sociology and Futurism.

An understanding of Psychology & Sociology has always been important for investors as it gives insights on how people behave on an individual level and how they behave as part of a group. A investor who is otherwise ‘rational’ can behave very differently when there is panic selling or buying on the stock markets.

The surprise element is however — Futurism. Knowledge of upcoming technological trends and how they can affect existing Businesses and Companies is almost mandatory for investors today.