The No. 1 Mistake Retail Investors Keep Making, According to This Wall Street Insider

Core Insights - Retail investors often chase big themes in the market, leading to costly mistakes, as seen in past market cycles like the dot-com crash and the meme stock bubble [1][3][4] - The primary issue is not recognizing trends but rather the approach to investing in them, with many investors mistakenly believing that all stocks related to a hot theme will succeed [4][5] - A critical distinction exists between high-quality investments that provide long-term performance and low-quality investments that may offer short-term gains but come with higher risks [5][6] Industry Trends - The current AI boom sees major companies like Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, and Amazon investing billions in AI infrastructure, indicating strong fundamentals and long-term viability [6] - In contrast, there are numerous smaller AI meme stocks that lack solid business models and proven leadership, posing greater risks to investors [6]