For those in tune to the financial turmoil, you will need no introduction to the insane roller coaster ride that equities market have been put through the past month. Yet amid this madness, is there value to be found?

Now, for those who are true value investors, perhaps the most important lessons that we learn is that the mood of the market is akin to a pendulum. Market confidences invariably swings from wild optimism to irrational pessimism. For a quick assessment of the market “temperature”, here are some other reference points that you can look out for:

If you find more ticks on the left hand column, you might want to hold onto your checkbook.

There’s no denying that the markets are extremely fearful right now. The marketing is swinging widely – down 500 points one day, up 400 points the next. And yet in all this panic selling, I ...