Are you locked and loaded with the financial industry’s so-called “Top Stocks for 2011?” If you are, or even if you’re just mulling them, you may want to look beyond those names — these stocks don’t always pay off no matter how reputable their pickers may be. You don’t even have to look too far back for proof. Last year, Assured Guaranty (NYSE: AGO), Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), and Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) were among the most-suggested picks for 2010. Yes, Apple and Comcast gained 54% and 29%, respectively, but Hewlett-Packard fell 19% last year,… Read More
Are you locked and loaded with the financial industry’s so-called “Top Stocks for 2011?” If you are, or even if you’re just mulling them, you may want to look beyond those names — these stocks don’t always pay off no matter how reputable their pickers may be. You don’t even have to look too far back for proof. Last year, Assured Guaranty (NYSE: AGO), Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), and Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) were among the most-suggested picks for 2010. Yes, Apple and Comcast gained 54% and 29%, respectively, but Hewlett-Packard fell 19% last year, while Assured Guaranty lost 22%. By comparison, the broader market gained 11% during this timeframe. That’s not meant to be a critique of the folks who picked those names in early 2010. It’s difficult to see the future. On the other hand, if the odds of success are 50/50 and the losing stocks lagged as badly as the winning names outpaced the market, what’s the point? So which equities were last year’s actual leaders? And to be clear, we’re not talking about any wild and illiquid (not to mention unlisted) penny stocks either —… Read More