Posted by Jason Ashley, Associate Adviser - November 2025

When headlines feel heavy—wars, elections, inflation, interest rates—it’s easy to believe we’re investing in chaos itself.

But here’s a perspective that helps bring calm:

We’re not actually investing in the market.
We’re investing in companies.

Behind every share price sits a team of people solving problems, building products, and adapting to whatever the world throws at them.

Why the noise feels louder than it is

If you only read the headlines, it sounds like the economy teeters from one crisis to the next. Every cycle has its “this time is different” moment.

But inside those same headlines are thousands of decisions being made by real businesses—tightening costs, launching new services, managing risks, and finding opportunity where others see threat.

As investors, that’s what we own: the collective adaptability of companies that want to survive and thrive.

Volatility is the surface, resilience is the core

Markets have always swung. Since the 1950s, global equities have fallen by 20-30% or more every few years. Yet despite every downturn, recessions, and pandemics, long-term investors have been rewarded for staying the course.

A temporary decline is not a permanent loss—unless we turn it into one by reacting.

The companies we invest in don’t sit idle when conditions change. They adjust. They innovate. They protect capital and seize new openings.

The power of perspective

If you’d invested £100,000 in a broad global index just before the 2008 financial crisis—and stayed invested—it would now be worth more than £350,000. Not because the world became less uncertain, but because the companies inside that index kept finding ways to grow through it.

That’s why we focus less on predicting the next headline and more on the plan that keeps you invested through them.

Investing is ownership

When you own shares, you’re not betting on a ticker symbol. You’re taking a long-term stake in human progress—in people creating value, adapting to change, and solving the problems of tomorrow.

And that’s what gives investing its power: ownership, not observation.

So, the next time markets wobble or headlines turn dark, remember:

You’re not investing in volatility.
You’re investing in opportunity.

At Oak Four, our role is to help you keep that perspective—to stay focused on the companies and plan that build your freedom, not the noise that challenges it.

Important information

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. The value of investments can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you originally invested. This content is intended as general information and should not be regarded as personalised investment advice. If you are unsure about the suitability of any investment, please speak with your Oak Four adviser.