The Confident Investor

 

One of the biggest challenges in investing in the stock market is picking the best stocks. In my book, “The Confident Investor” I teach my readers how to pick Good Companies. This page is designed to show the raw performance of these companies. It is not designed to show my personal portfolio, which may or may not exceed the performance stated here. Since I use the trading system described in my book, you can assume that I beat the performance recorded here.

I must caution you, I do not actually propose that you “buy and hold” any given stock, but rather you should “buy to hold” the stock. My investing technique teaches you to efficiently move your money to the stocks that are currently increasing in value the most. I use my Watch List for this work, these are Good Companies that I wait for great buying opportunities. This strategy is well described in my book, “The Confident Investor” and tends to be a very safe strategy in bear markets while typically still providing above market returns in a bull or flat market.

My Short Term Watch List are 15 companies that are hot right now. I select this list every quarter. I evenly divide a portion of my portfolio among these 15 companies. The next quarter, I add or delete companies as necessary and then re-balance the portfolio. This tends to be a more risky strategy because I don’t bail out on bad stock movement (at least until the end of the quarter). In a bull market or a flat market, these very well-run and high-performing companies tend to beat the general market by a significant margin.

You can purchase my book wherever books are sold such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books A Million. It is available in paperback as well as e-book formats for Nook, Kindle, and iPad.

WATCH LIST STOCK RESULTS

 

Stock Ticker	Company name	Current price	Year ago	Year ago change	Quarter ago	Quarter ago change	Month ago	Month ago change	Week ago	Week ago change
AAPL	Apple Inc.	$186.24	$167.64	11.10%	$216.82	-14.10%	$218.54	-14.78%	$194.17	-4.08%
ABMD	ABIOMED, Inc.	$297.50	$194.32	53.10%	$358.82	-17.09%	$362.42	-17.91%	$337.86	-11.95%
ADBE	Adobe Systems Incorporated	$220.04	$182.24	20.74%	$245.70	-10.44%	$245.03	-10.20%	$236.67	-7.03%
ADS	Alliance Data Systems Corporation	$195.13	$222.05	-12.12%	$237.37	-17.80%	$215.58	-9.49%	$203.14	-3.94%
ALGN	Align Technology, Inc.	$204.98	$253.89	-19.26%	$357.30	-42.63%	$312.79	-34.47%	$217.29	-5.67%
ALXN	Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	$114.41	$110.87	3.19%	$116.00	-1.37%	$125.89	-9.12%	$118.60	-3.53%
AMAT	Applied Materials, Inc.	$34.42	$55.81	-38.33%	$43.57	-21.00%	$34.29	0.38%	$32.62	5.52%
AMN	AMN Healthcare Services, Inc.	$60.73	$44.30	37.09%	$57.20	6.17%	$52.20	16.34%	$57.77	5.12%
AMZN	Amazon.com, Inc.	$1,513.97	$1,129.88	33.99%	$1,882.22	-19.56%	$1,764.03	-14.18%	$1,636.85	-7.51%
ANET	Arista Networks Inc	$221.62	$233.82	-5.22%	$269.04	-17.63%	$229.76	-3.55%	$236.62	-6.34%
AVGO	Broadcom Inc	$228.93	$264.45	-13.43%	$207.75	10.20%	$228.28	0.29%	$223.63	2.37%
BABA	Alibaba Group Holding Ltd	$149.68	$185.13	-19.15%	$172.78	-13.37%	$142.93	4.72%	$142.82	4.80%
BKNG	Booking Holdings Inc	$1,835.00	$1,747.22	5.02%	$1,840.68	-0.31%	$1,805.74	1.62%	$1,906.28	-3.74%
CBPO	China Biologic Products Holdings Inc	$74.42	$86.07	-13.54%	$91.99	-19.10%	$71.00	4.81%	$70.06	6.22%
COHR	Coherent, Inc.	$124.99	$307.32	-59.33%	$181.18	-31.01%	$132.25	-5.49%	$122.09	2.38%
CRTO	Criteo SA (ADR)	$21.90	$35.11	-37.62%	$27.02	-18.93%	$21.74	0.74%	$20.40	7.35%
CRUS	Cirrus Logic, Inc.	$37.63	$55.77	-32.53%	$42.83	-12.14%	$37.07	1.51%	$35.64	5.60%
CVGW	Calavo Growers, Inc.	$95.97	$72.80	31.83%	$99.79	-3.83%	$95.55	0.44%	$96.96	-1.02%
DPZ	Domino’s Pizza, Inc.	$252.95	$177.07	42.85%	$284.49	-11.09%	$267.75	-5.53%	$269.09	-6.00%
EA	Electronic Arts Inc.	$83.02	$108.82	-23.71%	$128.01	-35.15%	$102.11	-18.70%	$87.66	-5.30%
FB	Facebook, Inc. Common Stock	$131.66	$179.00	-26.45%	$173.80	-24.25%	$154.05	-14.53%	$141.55	-6.99%
GOOGL	Alphabet Inc Class A	$1,030.31	$1,035.89	-0.54%	$1,215.85	-15.26%	$1,105.18	-6.77%	$1,049.36	-1.82%
GTN	Gray Television, Inc.	$17.98	$15.70	14.52%	$16.90	6.39%	$17.43	3.16%	$19.61	-8.31%
HSKA	Heska Corp	$98.65	$85.50	15.37%	$100.41	-1.76%	$100.28	-1.63%	$100.40	-1.75%
HZO	MarineMax Inc	$22.86	$20.90	9.38%	$20.20	13.17%	$19.73	15.86%	$24.14	-5.30%
IBP	Installed Building Products Inc	$34.24	$69.00	-50.38%	$49.35	-30.62%	$30.72	11.46%	$35.48	-3.49%
ILMN	Illumina, Inc.	$301.07	$209.02	44.04%	$325.88	-7.61%	$313.10	-3.84%	$310.39	-3.00%
JAZZ	Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC	$143.19	$133.87	6.96%	$173.81	-17.62%	$155.99	-8.21%	$148.54	-3.60%
KNX	Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc	$32.00	$38.71	-17.35%	$32.84	-2.58%	$30.41	5.21%	$32.87	-2.66%
LGIH	LGI Homes Inc	$41.54	$63.52	-34.61%	$55.96	-25.78%	$37.86	9.71%	$40.42	2.76%
LRCX	Lam Research Corporation	$144.92	$206.79	-29.92%	$168.72	-14.10%	$145.20	-0.19%	$142.91	1.41%
LULU	Lululemon Athletica inc.	$127.97	$66.31	92.99%	$130.19	-1.71%	$136.77	-6.43%	$135.42	-5.50%
MA	Mastercard Inc	$189.26	$148.21	27.70%	$202.97	-6.76%	$203.06	-6.80%	$199.14	-4.96%
MEI	Methode Electronics Inc.	$29.25	$46.69	-37.35%	$39.80	-26.51%	$28.76	1.70%	$28.63	2.17%
MKSI	MKS Instruments, Inc.	$70.81	$102.75	-31.09%	$88.71	-20.18%	$74.69	-5.19%	$69.95	1.23%
MKTX	MarketAxess Holdings Inc.	$216.03	$178.87	20.77%	$188.70	14.48%	$197.03	9.64%	$207.40	4.16%
MTZ	MasTec, Inc.	$44.50	$40.60	9.61%	$43.30	2.77%	$43.04	3.39%	$46.68	-4.67%
MU	Micron Technology, Inc.	$37.00	$46.16	-19.85%	$47.11	-21.47%	$40.45	-8.54%	$37.44	-1.19%
NFLX	Netflix, Inc.	$270.80	$193.20	40.16%	$316.78	-14.52%	$332.67	-18.60%	$294.07	-7.91%
NSP	Insperity Inc	$97.74	$55.73	75.38%	$112.36	-13.01%	$107.60	-9.16%	$114.21	-14.42%
NVDA	NVIDIA Corporation	$148.47	$210.84	-29.58%	$244.69	-39.32%	$229.17	-35.22%	$189.54	-21.67%
NXST	Nexstar Media Group Inc	$74.76	$64.62	15.70%	$77.99	-4.14%	$78.01	-4.16%	$80.06	-6.62%
PATK	Patrick Industries, Inc.	$41.35	$60.43	-31.58%	$61.35	-32.60%	$50.53	-18.17%	$42.93	-3.68%
PYPL	Paypal Holdings Inc	$80.32	$76.38	5.16%	$85.45	-6.00%	$84.78	-5.26%	$83.78	-4.13%
REGN	Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc	$335.67	$391.59	-14.28%	$374.26	-10.31%	$389.83	-13.89%	$346.56	-3.14%
SBUX	Starbucks Corporation	$67.64	$55.63	21.59%	$53.27	26.97%	$58.35	15.93%	$67.55	0.14%
STZ	Constellation Brands, Inc. Class A	$193.52	$213.51	-9.36%	$203.18	-4.75%	$222.11	-12.87%	$201.97	-4.18%
SUI	Sun Communities Inc	$101.28	$89.92	12.63%	$101.14	0.14%	$99.74	1.54%	$102.60	-1.29%
SWKS	Skyworks Solutions Inc	$70.72	$108.56	-34.86%	$91.85	-23.00%	$85.16	-16.96%	$72.84	-2.91%
TGS	Transportadora de Gas del Sur SA (ADR)	$15.90	$19.51	-18.50%	$13.33	19.29%	$13.96	13.90%	$15.23	4.40%
THRM	Gentherm Inc	$44.18	$34.25	28.99%	$47.70	-7.38%	$38.75	14.01%	$43.00	2.74%
TMUS	T-Mobile Us Inc	$68.22	$60.02	13.66%	$65.90	3.52%	$69.75	-2.19%	$67.89	0.49%
TNET	TriNet Group Inc	$44.17	$43.16	2.34%	$58.34	-24.29%	$48.23	-8.42%	$45.03	-1.91%
ULTA	Ulta Beauty Inc	$313.24	$215.10	45.63%	$235.04	33.27%	$270.78	15.68%	$308.99	1.38%
UNH	UnitedHealth Group Inc	$264.91	$207.09	27.92%	$261.46	1.32%	$265.30	-0.15%	$272.38	-2.74%
V	Visa Inc	$134.42	$109.10	23.21%	$141.08	-4.72%	$139.83	-3.87%	$139.47	-3.62%
WCG	WellCare Health Plans, Inc.	$238.52	$198.00	20.46%	$294.74	-19.07%	$308.74	-22.74%	$267.33	-10.78%

Over the last year, my Watch List returned 5.07%
Over the last quarter, my Watch List returned -11.76%
Over the last month, my Watch List returned -7.54%
Over the last week, my Watch List returned -4.24%

SHORT TERM WATCH LIST STOCK RESULTS

 

Stock Ticker	Company name	Current price	Year ago	Year ago change	Quarter ago	Quarter ago change	Month ago	Month ago change	Week ago	Week ago change
ABMD	ABIOMED, Inc.	$297.50	$194.32	53.10%	$358.82	-17.09%	$362.42	-17.91%	$337.86	-11.95%
ADBE	Adobe Systems Incorporated	$220.04	$182.24	20.74%	$245.70	-10.44%	$245.03	-10.20%	$236.67	-7.03%
ALGN	Align Technology, Inc.	$204.98	$253.89	-19.26%	$357.30	-42.63%	$312.79	-34.47%	$217.29	-5.67%
AMZN	Amazon.com, Inc.	$1,513.97	$1,129.88	33.99%	$1,882.22	-19.56%	$1,764.03	-14.18%	$1,636.85	-7.51%
ANET	Arista Networks Inc	$221.62	$233.82	-5.22%	$269.04	-17.63%	$229.76	-3.55%	$236.62	-6.34%
HSKA	Heska Corp	$98.65	$85.50	15.37%	$100.41	-1.76%	$100.28	-1.63%	$100.40	-1.75%
LGIH	LGI Homes Inc	$41.54	$63.52	-34.61%	$55.96	-25.78%	$37.86	9.71%	$40.42	2.76%
LULU	Lululemon Athletica inc.	$127.97	$66.31	92.99%	$130.19	-1.71%	$136.77	-6.43%	$135.42	-5.50%
MA	Mastercard Inc	$189.26	$148.21	27.70%	$202.97	-6.76%	$203.06	-6.80%	$199.14	-4.96%
MU	Micron Technology, Inc.	$37.00	$46.16	-19.85%	$47.11	-21.47%	$40.45	-8.54%	$37.44	-1.19%
NFLX	Netflix, Inc.	$270.80	$193.20	40.16%	$316.78	-14.52%	$332.67	-18.60%	$294.07	-7.91%
NSP	Insperity Inc	$97.74	$55.73	75.38%	$112.36	-13.01%	$107.60	-9.16%	$114.21	-14.42%
NVDA	NVIDIA Corporation	$148.47	$210.84	-29.58%	$244.69	-39.32%	$229.17	-35.22%	$189.54	-21.67%
TNET	TriNet Group Inc	$44.17	$43.16	2.34%	$58.34	-24.29%	$48.23	-8.42%	$45.03	-1.91%
WCG	WellCare Health Plans, Inc.	$238.52	$198.00	20.46%	$294.74	-19.07%	$308.74	-22.74%	$267.33	-10.78%

Over the last year, my Short Term Watch List returned 20.85%
Over the last quarter, my Short Term Watch List returned -19.77%
Over the last month, my Short Term Watch List returned -15.85%
Over the last week, my Short Term Watch List returned -8.22%

Short Term List returned 21%
High growth stock: Lululemon Athletica inc. ($LULU) at 93%
Total Execution Time: 0.89088010787964 Sec