What was best stock pick in last five years?

[Livin Large in MT]

oldtrig, you are totally correct. However when the mkt tanked (and I lost a ton of money then too but also had cash sitting at the side because at that point everyone saw the mkt was pretty high), it didn't take a genius to see that XOM and JNJ in the 50's was pretty cheap. You just had to buy but I never buy more than 100 to 200 shares: just too much in one company.

 

[KMyer]

Accepted form of gambling. No difference than calling your bookie and making a bet. No way you could know the outcome. I have lots of friends who lost lots large sums of money when the stocks went sour a few years ago. We always hear about those who done well investing in the market. Lets hear from some who lost ? I hear the same results when someone returns from a casino. If they hit it big we all hear about it. If they loose large sums we never hear about it. Just like horse racing. Some are locks and then there are those pony's that we all thing are locks that run last. Sorry, thats how I see investing in the market. Just save your money and try to make more by working part time is my best advice. Many people get rich by writing books on how to invest. I have read a few way back when. It did make me aware on how things are done but thats about all. I keep my money safe. This is only my opinion so again please do not take it personal. old trig

I will share some of my losses. I basically lost everything I invested in the following companies:

Circuit City
Enron
Fleetwood Industries
Jackson Hewitt
Worldcom

The losses made me sick because it would have been much more fun to have used the cash to buy some vehicles. I wish I was smart enough to avoid these losers.

The good thing I've noticed though is whereas your downside exposure is limited to the cost of your stocks, your upside potential is unlimited.

The following stocks have more than doubled their value since I purchased them:

Autozone
Bank of America
Cat
Case New Holland
Harley Davidson
Home Depot
Intuit
M & T Bank
Papa Johns
Polaris
Tractor Supply Company

The average appreciation percent for the above list of winning stocks is 169%. The raw $ gain is 5.5 times the losses from the stocks on the first list.

I've concluded that you will win sometimes, lose sometimes, but on average you will normally come out a winner by investing in equities.

 

[heirloom]

I need some current stock picks from all you winners. My best are:

GE: 15.90 in 2010 now is 22.50
PFE 16.64 in 2009 now is 26.88
TSN 15.02 IN 8/2012 now 23.78....thinking of dumping this one
CLNY 17.09 4/12 now 21.05 plus 8% div.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

Probably AMZN (Amazon) in 2009 for $129 a share. I thought I was coming late to the party but I am delighted to have been proved wrong. My only other really stellar pick was in 2006 when I bought CMG (Chipotle Mexican Grille) for $49.

 

[Meadbh]

Looks like my best pick in the past 5 years was RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust (REI.UN CA T), up 44% and a solid income payer. Next best: Westjet Airlines (WJA CA T), up 37% and now a dividend payer.

Stateside, Ford (F US N) is up 27% and Boeing (BA US N) is up over 26%. Both are paying decent dividends albeit with 15% withholding tax.

 

[Snidely Whiplash]

For me, I purchased Tractor Supply Company (TSCO) at $19.48 per share on 2/04/2008. The stock now trades at $88.03 per share which equates to cummulative gain % of 352%, or an average monthly return of around 2.5%.

Would you care to share what it was that initially caused you to invest in this one? For the life of me I cant understand how I overlooked this. I love these stores.

 

[Animorph]

I sold my last 6 NFLX shares, bought on 10/14/2004 for a total of $66.42, for a total of $1800.47 on 7/13/2011. A 27x gain. I think that's been my best.

 

[kz]

Oshkosh Corp...several years ago I started watching the stock once it dipped below $15...finally pulled the trigger at $11/share and then again at $6/share. Fourteen months later, when it topped $40/share I sold.

 

[Meadbh]

I sold my last 6 NFLX shares, bought on 10/14/2004 for a total of $66.42, for a total of $1800.47 on 7/13/2011. A 27x gain. I think that's been my best.

I doubt if anyone can beat that! Congratulations!

 

[KMyer]

Would you care to share what it was that initially caused you to invest in this one? For the life of me I cant understand how I overlooked this. I love these stores.

We live on a horse farm so my wife is a faithful customer of this company. I believe I bought my first shares of Tractor Supply Company in 2007 because I was familiar with the stores and their stock price was somewhat depressed. I bought more shares in 2008 when the stock price fell some more. We live in PA and I believe a major competitor went out of business around this same time. I don't think that I had any unique insight, I just got extremely fortunate with this pick.

 

[HighRoller]

Accepted form of gambling. This is only my opinion so again please do not take it personal. old trig

+1

However, my best investments so far have been in silver. (I bought most of what I have in the $5 to $10 an oz range.) I almost sold when it was in the $40 an oz range back in 2011 but am still holding.