The beginning of the year is when it seems like every financial website puts out its top or worst stocks. In that vein, I offer my 15 recommended stocks for 2016 – or at least the first quarter of the year. I cannot list the worst stocks, as there are too many of those to list. I can at least list the 15 recommended stocks that will give you a good basis for the first three months of 2016.
Many sites do all year lists, but I am only committing to this list for the first three months. There is a great reason for this. It is almost impossible to predict the market farther out than 3-6 month. In fact, it is quite possible for the market to do a massive correction and even this list would be a fallacy. There is always some risk with any investment and you are encouraged to read this site’s disclaimer before acting on this list.
I would expect all of these companies to maintain their status as Good Companies on my Watch List. I would not expect all of them to make a top 15 recommended stocks list at the end of March. Some of them will grow a bit slower than I expect, and a couple of the 15 recommended stocks are probably going to lose money. As Peter Lynch famously said:
“In this business if you’re good, you’re right six times out of ten. You’re never going to be right nine times out of ten.”
By Peter’s standards, I hope to right on this list with 12 of these picks. I don’t expect all 15 recommended stocks to be massive growth stocks in the year. I also think the list is successful if the list of 15 beats the S&P 500 and the Dow30. In April, I plan to publish a list for the second quarter of the year.
If we would go back in time (starting from December 1) and buy the 15 recommended stocks 3 years ago our portfolio would have grown very nicely. These stocks would have appreciated by 68.05%. With that track record, we should expect good results in the next 3 months.
All of the stocks on this list are rated as Good Companies using the method that I describe in my book The Confident Investor. You can purchase my book wherever books are sold such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books A Million. It is available in e-book formats for Nook, Kindle, and iPad.
The 15 recommended stocks were chosen from Good Companies on my Watch List. This means we already know they are fairly well managed and have a history of solid growth. While all of the stocks on the Watch List are Good Companies, these 15 recommended stocks seem to be the most well setup for aggressive growth in the first quarter of 2016.
The 15 recommended stocks for the first quarter of 2016 also performed very well over the past year and the past 3 years. As I have written before, the past is not a perfect indicator of the future, but it is probably the best indicator that we have to use.
I didn’t try to make this list of 15 recommended stocks to be a balanced portfolio covering multiple industries. I am happy to report that it isn’t a terrible unbalanced. The reality is that if you plan to rebalance your portfolio every 3 months then you really do not have to worry too much about industry balance.
If you want a more balanced portfolio, you should have approximately 30% of your portfolio invested in index funds. These funds should be divided by large and small cap funds, an index bond fund, and an index international fund. This would help to balance your portfolio.
You could also look at the Watch List of stocks. These stocks have shown that they are well-run companies. If you are concerned about a balanced portfolio, I suggest that you compliment the 15 recommended stocks with a couple stocks from the Watch List.
The list of 15 recommended stocks for the first quarter of 2016
The list of 15 recommended stocks for the first quarter of 2016 sorted alphabetically by stock symbol are:
- ABIOMED, Inc. [stckqut]ABMD[/stckqut]
- China Biologic Products Inc [stckqut]CBPO[/stckqut]
- Extra Space Storage, Inc. [stckqut]EXR[/stckqut]
- Facebook Inc [stckqut]FB[/stckqut]
- Gray Television, Inc. [stckqut]GTN[/stckqut]
- Jarden Corp [stckqut]JAH[/stckqut]
- Middleby Corp [stckqut]MIDD[/stckqut]
- Monster Beverage Corporation [stckqut]MNST[/stckqut]
- Netflix, Inc. [stckqut]NFLX[/stckqut]
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc [stckqut]REGN[/stckqut]
- Starbucks Corporation [stckqut]SBUX[/stckqut]
- Constellation Brands, Inc. [stckqut]STZ[/stckqut]
- Gentherm Inc [stckqut]THRM[/stckqut]
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. [stckqut]TMO[/stckqut]
- Under Armour Inc [stckqut]UA[/stckqut]
If you want to know a bit more about the companies that comprise the 15 recommended stocks for the first quarter of 2016, you can read below. The descriptions primarily came from the short paragraph descriptions on the company found on Google Finance. https://www.google.com/finance. The stock price charts also came from Google Finance. You can also click on a company name on the right side of this site, under the heading of Most Reviewed Companies (you may need to scroll down) as most of the companies on this list have been reviewed here several times.
- ABIOMED, Inc. [stckqut]ABMD[/stckqut]
- Abiomed, Inc. is a provider of temporary percutaneous mechanical circulatory support devices. The Company offers care to heart failure patients. The Company’s products include Impella 2.5, a percutaneous micro heart pump with an integrated motor and sensors; Impella CP, which is primarily used by either interventional cardiologists to support patients in the catheter lab or by surgeons in the heart surgery suite; Impella 5.0 and Impella LD, a percutaneous micro heart pumps with integrated motors and sensors for use primarily in the heart surgery suite; Impella RP, a percutaneous catheter-based axial flow pump that is designed to allow greater than four liters of flow per minute; AB5000, a circulatory support system for the temporary support of acute heart failure patients in profound shock, and Symphony, a minimally invasive implantable cardiac assist device.
-
- China Biologic Products, Inc. (China Biologic) is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company is principally engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and sales of human plasma-based biopharmaceutical products in China. China Biologic has a product portfolio with over 20 different dosage forms of plasma products. The Company’s principal products are human albumin and immunoglobulin for intravenous injection (IVIG). China Biologic operates its business through two subsidiaries, namely, Shandong Taibang Biological Products Co. Ltd. and Guizhou Taibang Biological Products Co., Ltd. The Company also holds an interest in Xi’an Huitian Blood Products Co., Ltd., a plasma products company. Its products include human albumin, human immunoglobulin, IVIG, thymopolypeptides injection, human hepatitis B immunoglobulin, human rabies immunoglobulin, human tetanus immunoglobulin, placenta polypeptide, Factor VIII and human prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC).
- Extra Space Storage, Inc. [stckqut]EXR[/stckqut]
- Extra Space Storage Inc. is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company owns, operates, manages, acquires, develops and redevelops professionally managed self-storage properties (stores). The Company operates through three segments: rental operations; tenant reinsurance, and property management, acquisition and development. The Company’s rental operations activities include rental operations of self-storage stores. Tenant reinsurance activities include the reinsurance of risks relating to the loss of goods stored by tenants in the Company’s self-storage facilities. The Company’s property management acquisition and development activities include managing acquiring developing and selling self-storage stores. As of December 31, 2014, it held ownership interests in 828 operating stores. Of these operating stores, 557 are wholly owned and 271 are owned in joint venture partnerships.
- Facebook Inc [stckqut]FB[/stckqut]
- Facebook, Inc. is a social networking company. The Company is engaged in developing products that enables users to connect and share through mobile devices and personal computers. It offers various services focused on people, marketers and developers. It offers various platforms for people to share their opinions, ideas, photos and videos, and to engage in other activities. Its products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. The Facebook mobile app and Website enables people to connect, share, discover and communicate with each other on mobile devices and personal computers. Its Messenger is a mobile-to-mobile messaging application available on iOS and Android phones. Instagram is a mobile application and Website that enables people to take photos or videos, and share them with friends and followers. WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging application and allows people to exchange messages on iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Nokia devices.
- Gray Television, Inc. [stckqut]GTN[/stckqut]
- Gray Television Inc. (Gray) is a broadcast company, which owns and/or operates television stations and digital assets in markets throughout the United States. Gray owns and operates television stations in 44 television markets broadcasting 139 program streams including 76 affiliates of the Big Four networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX). Gray’s owned and/or operated stations include 26 channels affiliated with the CBS Network, 24 channels affiliated with the NBC Network, 16 channels affiliated with the ABC Network and 10 channels affiliated with the FOX Network. Gray reaches approximately 8.1% of total United States television households.
- Jarden Corp [stckqut]JAH[/stckqut]
- Jarden Corporation (Jarden) is a global consumer products company. The Company operates in three primary business segments: Branded Consumables, Consumer Solutions and Outdoor Solutions. The Branded Consumables segment manufactures or sources, markets and distributes branded consumer products. The Consumer Solutions segment manufactures or sources, markets and distributes household products. The Outdoor Solutions segment manufactures or sources, markets and distributes consumer active lifestyle products. The Company distributes its products through club stores, craft stores, direct-to-consumer channels, on-line, specialty retailers and wholesalers, and Yankee Candle retail stores. The Company’s customers include Walmart, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Amazon.com, Bed Bath and Beyond, Canadian Tire, Costco, Dick’s Sporting Goods, The Home Depot, Kroger, Lowe’s and Target.
- Middleby Corp [stckqut]MIDD[/stckqut]
- The Middleby Corporation is engaged in the design, manufacture and sale of commercial foodservice, food processing equipment and residential kitchen equipment. The Company operates in three segments: the Commercial Foodservice Equipment Group has a portfolio of cooking and warming equipment; the Food Processing Equipment Group offers a portfolio of processing solutions for customers producing pre-cooked meat products and the Residential Kitchen Equipment Group manufactures, sells and distributes kitchen equipment for the residential market. The equipment are used in all types of commercial restaurants and institutional kitchens; food preparation, cooking, baking, chilling and packaging equipment for food processing operations, and kitchen equipment, including ranges, ovens, refrigerators, ventilation and dishwashers used in the residential market. Its brands include Anets, Beech, Blodgett, Britannia, CTX, Cozzini, Danfotech, Drake, Brigade, Jade and TurboChef, among others.
- Monster Beverage Corporation [stckqut]MNST[/stckqut]
- Monster Beverage Corporation, incorporated on April 25, 1990, is a holding company and conducts no operating business except through its consolidated subsidiaries. The Company’s subsidiaries market and distribute energy drinks, including Monster Energy energy drinks, Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology energy drinks, Java Monster non-carbonated coffee + energy drinks, M3 Monster Energy Super Concentrate energy drinks, Monster Rehab non-carbonated energy drinks with electrolytes, Muscle Monster Energy Shakes, Ubermonster energy drinks, NOS energy drinks, Full Throttle energy drinks, Burn energy drinks, Samurai energy drinks, Relentless energy drinks, Mother energy drinks, Power Play energy drinks, BU energy drinks, Nalu energy drinks, BPM energy drinks, Gladiator energy drinks, and Ultra energy drinks.
- Netflix, Inc. [stckqut]NFLX[/stckqut]
- Netflix, Inc. is a provider of Internet television network. The Company has over 57 million streaming members in over 50 countries. Its members can watch more than two billion hours of television (TV) shows and movies per month, including original series, documentaries and feature films on Internet-connected screen. The Company has three operating segments: Domestic streaming, International streaming and Domestic DVD. The Domestic and International streaming segments derive revenues from monthly membership fees for services consisting of streaming content. The Domestic DVD segment derives revenues from monthly membership fees for services consisting of DVD-by-mail. Its members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments. Additionally, in the United States, its members can receive DVDs to their homes. The Company offers streaming service both domestically and internationally.
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc [stckqut]REGN[/stckqut]
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an integrated biopharmaceutical company that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. The Company commercializes medicines for eye diseases, colorectal cancer, and a rare inflammatory condition and has product candidates under development in other areas, including hypercholesterolemia, oncology, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), asthma and atopic dermatitis. The Company’s marketed products include EYLEA (aflibercept) injection, ZALTRAP (ziv-aflibercept) injection for intravenous infusion and ARCALYST (rilonacept) injection for subcutaneous use. The Company has 17 product candidates in clinical development. Its product candidates consist of two trap-based clinical programs and 15 human monoclonal antibody product candidates. The Company has generated each of the antibodies using its VelocImmune technology.
- Starbucks Corporation [stckqut]SBUX[/stckqut]
- Starbucks Corporation is the roaster, marketer and retailer of specialty coffee. The Company purchases and roasts coffees that it sells, along with coffee, tea and other beverages, and a range of fresh food items, through Company-operated stores. It also sells a range of coffee and tea products and licenses its trademarks through other channels, such as licensed stores, grocery and national foodservice accounts. It operates through four segment: Americas, which includes the United States, Canada, and Latin America; Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); China/Asia Pacific (CAP), and Channel Development. In addition to its Starbucks Coffee brand, it also sells goods and services under the brands, including Teavana, Tazo, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Evolution Fresh, La Boulange and Ethos. Its Americas, EMEA, and CAP segments include both Company-operated and licensed stores. The Americas and EMEA segments include certain foodservice accounts, primarily in Canada and the United Kingdom.
- Constellation Brands, Inc. [stckqut]STZ[/stckqut]
- Constellation Brands, Inc. is an international beverage alcohol company. The Company’s operating segments include Beer, Wine and Spirits and Corporate Operations and Other. The Company’s wine portfolio is complemented by select spirits brands and other select beverage alcohol products. It is a multi-category supplier (beer, wine and spirits) of beverage alcohol in the United States. The Company’s customers include wholesale distributors, retailers, on premise locations and government alcohol beverage control agencies. In the United States, the Company operates 19 wineries using varieties of grapes grown in the Napa, Sonoma, Monterey and San Joaquin regions of California. It also operates eight wineries in Canada, four wineries in New Zealand and five wineries in Italy. The Company’s Canadian whisky requirements are produced and aged at its Canadian distillery in Lethbridge, Alberta.
- Gentherm Inc [stckqut]THRM[/stckqut]
- Gentherm Incorporated (Gentherm) is engaged in the design, development and manufacturing of thermal management technologies. The Company’s segments are: Automotive, Industrial. The Automotive segment represents Gentherm’s three geographic operating segments: North America, Europe and Asia. The Automotive segment includes automotive seat comfort systems, specialized automotive cable systems, and other automotive and non-automotive thermal convenience products. The Industrial segment includes Gentherm Global Power Technologies (GPT) and Gentherm’s advanced research and product development division. The advanced research and product development division is engaged in projects to improve the efficiency of thermal management technologies and to develop, market and distribute products based on these new technologies.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. [stckqut]TMO[/stckqut]
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is a provider of analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, software and services for research, manufacturing, analysis, discovery and diagnostics. The company operates through four segments: Life Sciences Solutions, provides reagents, instruments and consumables used in biological and medical research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines as well as diagnosis of disease; Analytical Instruments, provides instruments, consumables, software and services that are used in the laboratory; Specialty Diagnostics, offers diagnostic test kits, reagents, culture media, instruments and associated products, and Laboratory Products and Services, offers self-manufactured and sourced products for the laboratory.
- Under Armour Inc [stckqut]UA[/stckqut]
- Under Armour, Inc. is engaged in the development, marketing and distribution of branded performance apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and youth. The Company’s moisture-wicking fabrications are engineered in a range of designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide an alternative to traditional products. The Company’s operating segments include North America, consisting of the United States and Canada; Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA); Asia-Pacific; Latin America, and MapMyFitness. The Company also offers digital fitness platform licenses and subscriptions, along with digital advertising through its MapMyFitness business. Its apparel offers three gearlines, including HEATGEAR, COLDGEAR and ALLSEASONGEAR. Its footwear offerings include football, baseball, lacrosse, softball and soccer cleats, slides and performance training, running, basketball and outdoor footwear. Its accessories primarily include the sale of headwear, bags and gloves.
My typical disclaimer says that I may or may not have a holding of the stocks discussed in this article. This would be a bit misleading for this particular article. You can assume that I am currently invested in every one of these stocks at the time of this writing.
The glass globe image at the top of this article is courtesy of suphakit73 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net