'Time in' the market is better than 'timing'

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If you missed the best 40 trading days over the last 15 years, then you have missed out on some healthy profits - Fidelity says.

The investment management and services group says investors could even incur losses if they were not active on those days. Untouched, a £1,000 UK stock market investment in June 1992 would have been worth £4,612 at the end of June 2007. But take out the best 10 days and the investment would be worth £3,041, while stripping the best 40 days would me a return of just £1,304. The dangers are more evident in other European markets; missing the best 40 days in this same period would lead to losses in France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Sweden and the Netherlands. Fidelity UK managing dir...

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