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What’s making investors money so far this year?

Today's Financial News - Posted September 11, 2009

TFN’s premium service Hot Stock Confidential has closed out 67 stock and options positions so far this year. Here’s what our members made money on…

by J. Christoph Amberger

Baltimore, MD — TFN: How to describe our Hot Stock Confidential approach to investing this year?

The basics haven’t changed: We focus on what we can Damn Good Stocks. That’s companies with solid financials (as solid as they can possibly be this year!)… good management… solid products. Or stocks at the cusp of a trend convergence.

We hold on to these stocks regardless of how they move in the first couple of weeks: In this volatile market, downside trailing stops are too often triggered on nonsense moves, leaving you stranded on a loss — watching the stock turn positive again a day later.

We’ve adopted a strategy we call Whack-a-Mole investing. The stock may hide below our recorded entry price for a while. But when it pops up, we’re ready to take profits.

Whenever our picks gain over 20%, we start considering “wealth-preservation” stop losses. Depending on the strength of the move, these may be quite conservative — or more venturesome. We believe that, having watched a position lose for a while, we deserve some “guaranteed” payback.

Below is our full Closed Hot Stock Confidential Portfolio for 2009 – losers and all. Check ‘em out and compare notes.

  • (35.2%) on Medical Properties Trust (MPW)
  • 24.1% on Alon USA Energy (ALJ)
  • 20% on SuperValu Inc. (SVU)
  • 24.4% on Aastrom Biosciences Inc. (ASTM)
  • 20.6% on Carmax Inc. (KMX)
  • 44.2% on Bank of America (BAC) – 1st half
  • (4.2%) on ProShares Short S&P 500 ETF (SH)
  • (87.5%) on Huntsman Corporation Feb 2.50 calls (HUNBZ)
  • 30.1% on Market Vectors Russia ETF short (RSX)
  • 40% on City Group March 2.50 calls (CCYX)
  • 64.9% on Bank of America (BAC) – 2nd half
  • (77.6%) SPDR Gold Trust Mar 90 calls (GLDCL)
  • 30% on Valance Technology, Inc. (VLNC)
  • 17.5% on Guangshen Railway Co. Ltd. (GSH)
  • 20.3% on Bruker Corporation (BRKR)
  • 22.8% on Fuel Tech (FTEK)
  • 34.4% on Graham Corporation (GHM)
  • (34.6%) on LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (LDK)
  • 24.7% on A-Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. (APWR)
  • 21.2% on Corus Entertainment (CHR)
  • 83.1% on YRC Worldwide (YRCW) – 1st half
  • (-92.3%) on Dyax April 2.50 calls (DQADZ)
  • 20.7% on Brocade Communications (BRCD)
  • 20.4% on Cerus Corporation (CERS) – 1st position
  • 20.2% on Papa John’s International Inc. (PZZA)
  • 34.9% on Vical Inc. (VICL) – 1st position
  • 25.1% on Cepheid (CPHD)
  • 24.1% on Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF)
  • (16.8%) on Web.com (WWWW)
  • (20.1%) on Smithfield Foods Inc. short (SFD)
  • 106.8% on YRC Worldwide (YRCW) – 2nd half
  • (-9.6%) on BMB Munai Inc. (KAZ)
  • 39.8% on Curis Inc. (CRIS) – 1st position
  • 39.8% on Micromet Inc. (MITI) – 1st position
  • 30.2% on U.S. Geothermal Inc. (HTM)
  • 19.9% on AngloGold Ashanti Limited (AU)
  • 23.3% on Taseko Mines Limited (TGB)
  • 27.3% on iShares Silver Trust Oct 18 calls (SLVJR)
  • (-24.8%) on H&R Block Inc. (HRB)
  • 20% on iShares Silver Trust (SLV)
  • 30.1% on Micromet Inc. (MITI) – 2nd position
  • 40% on Calumet Specialty Products Partners L.P. (CLMT)
  • 49% on SQM Oct 35 calls (SQMJG)
  • 21.2% on Toreador Resources Corporation (TRGL)
  • 26.9% on Sangamo Biosciences Inc. (SGMO)
  • 19% on Dyax Corporation (DYAX)
  • 20.6% on Sonic Automotive (SAH)
  • 20.9% on Vimpel Communcations Inc. (VIP)
  • 50.6% on Vical Inc. (VICL) – 2nd position
  • 29.9% on Trico Marine Services (TRMA)
  • 20.4% on Geron Corporation (GERN)
  • 20.4% on American Oriental Bioengineering Inc. (AOB)
  • (-5.8%) on Obagi Medical Product (OMPI)
  • 25.7% on Micromet Inc. (MITI) – 3rd position
  • 17.5% on Sunoco Inc. (SUN)
  • 53.7% on Cerus Corporation (CERS) – 2nd position
  • 22.3% on El Paso Electric Company (EE)
  • 11.1% on Total S.A. ADR (TOT)
  • 30.3% on SpongeTech Delivery Systems (SPNG) – 1st half
  • 22.5% on Seattle Genetics, Inc. (SGEN)
  • 69.8% on Cell-Sci Corporation (CVM)
  • 15.2% on Best Buy Co. (BBY)
  • 56.6% on Curis Inc. (CRIS) – 2nd position, 1st half
  • 51.3% on Tianyin Pharmaceutical (TPI) – 1st half
  • 47% on Vical, Inc. (VICL) – 3rd position, 1st half
  • 76.8% on Katanga Mining Limited (KAT)
  • and a whopping 81.5% on Dynavax Technologies Corporation (DVAX)

= 1,496.5% in total cumulative gains – and 22.3% in average gains!


Next Article: Bergamo Acquisition Corp. (BGMO) setzt auf Pakistan

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Posted by J. Christoph Amberger · Filed Under Investment Strategies 

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