The Portfolio Duel: Method and Disclosures

Who produces this

Operator and publisher:

TM Internetmarketing GmbH
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71638 Ludwigsburg
Germany

Managing Director: Thomas Mücke. Commercial register: Local Court of Stuttgart, HRB 741694.

Responsible for editorial content under § 18 (2) of the German Interstate Media Treaty (MStV): Thomas Mücke, Seestraße 16, 71638 Ludwigsburg, Germany.

Nobody runs these portfolios by hand. A program applies the rules on this page on every trading day. The rules themselves are set — and changed — by the person named above, and every change is listed in the change log further down.

What is published here qualifies as investment recommendations under Art. 20 of the EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) in conjunction with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/958. This page carries the disclosures required there and is permanently linked from every page of the section. The operator is a publisher, not a registered investment adviser, and gives no individual advice.

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How the portfolios are calculated

The same ground rules apply to every portfolio, so that anyone can recalculate any curve:

1. Every portfolio starts with $100,000, all of them on the same trading day.
2. At most 15 holdings at a time, equally weighted. No holding gets more than 20% of the portfolio at purchase.
3. A holding rated green gets double weight.
4. A holding rated red is never bought. If a holding turns red, the portfolio sells it on the next trading day.
5. Green requirement: portfolios that follow a signal list buy only holdings rated green (“Quality confirmed”) — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough there, and a holding is sold as soon as it is no longer green. Four portfolios are exempt because they deliberately mirror something: the yardstick “The Lazy One”, the mirrored real portfolio of the operator, “Fund Shadow” and “Green Light”. For the three portfolios that bet on falling prices the rule works the other way round: no bet is placed against a company our own analysis rates green.
6. If a portfolio finds fewer than 5 candidates, the rest stays in interest-bearing cash. A portfolio that finds nothing holds cash — that is a result, not a failure.
7. Trades are executed at the closing price of the trading day after the signal. No hindsight, no yesterday's price.
8. Order costs of 0.1% of the order value, minimum $1, deducted from cash. Every figure shown is net of costs.
9. Dividends are credited as cash on the ex-date. Stock splits are handled through the adjustment factor of the price source.
10. Selling is checked every trading day; buying follows each portfolio's own schedule.
11. No margin, no leverage. The short portfolio commits at most half of its capital, the rest stays in cash.
12. No portfolio is quietly retired or hidden. Losing portfolios stay visible.

The portfolios one by one

What each portfolio buys and when it sells again, in one sentence; the full rule set is on the portfolio's own page.

Portfolios built on our stock scanners

• Quality Stocks

  Buys shares in companies that have earned money reliably for years and carry little debt. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the requirements or is no longer rated green.

• Earnings Surprise

  Buys shares in companies whose quarterly figures came in well above expectations. Purchases happen the day after the signal. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. Every holding is kept for three months and then sold, whatever it has done in the meantime — or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• Graham Net-Net

  Buys shares that cost less on the market than the company holds in readily available assets after all debts are deducted — Benjamin Graham’s strictest rule. Such cases are rare, so the portfolio holds at most nine positions and often a lot of cash. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the rule or is no longer rated green.

• Turnaround

  Buys shares in companies that are finding their footing again after a weak stretch — the figures are improving while the share price has not caught up. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it drops off the list or is no longer rated green.

• Magic Formula

  Buys by Joel Greenblatt’s formula: companies that earn a lot on the capital they employ and are cheap at the same time. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month. As in the original, each one is held for twelve months and then sold — or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• Power Play

  Buys shares that break out sharply and on heavy volume after a quiet stretch. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. A position is sold as soon as the price falls 10 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Terry Smith Quality

  Buys a handful of unusually profitable companies and then leaves them alone. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added only once a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the requirements or is no longer rated green.

• Piotroski F-Score

  Buys shares in companies whose balance sheet has improved on nine separately tested points — Joseph Piotroski’s check. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. As in the original, new positions are added only once a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer passes the check or is no longer rated green.

• QARP

  Buys good companies at a reasonable price: solid figures, without paying any price for them. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the criteria or is no longer rated green.

• Fundamental Rank

  Buys the shares with the best overall grade across several balance-sheet and valuation measures. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it drops out of the top group or is no longer rated green.

• Triple-Digit Growth

  Buys shares in companies whose revenue has more than doubled within a year. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. Such shares swing hard, so a position is sold as soon as the price falls 20 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list or it is no longer rated green.

• Best of All

  Buys shares that clear three hurdles at once: money was left over after all outgoings in the latest quarter, revenue and earnings per share have each grown by at least 10 percent over the past year and a half, and our own deep-dive analysis rates the company green. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it fails one of the three hurdles.

• Quality & Growth

  Buys shares whose companies our deep-dive analysis rates green and that are picking up speed at the same time: in the latest quarter, revenue and earnings per share were each at least 15 percent above the same quarter a year earlier. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as one of the two growth rates drops below that mark or the rating is no longer green.

• Quality & Uptrend

  Buys shares whose companies our deep-dive analysis rates green and that are in an established uptrend at the same time — they belong to the strongest fifth of the market. A position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, or the share drops off the list.

• Quality & Value

  Buys shares whose companies our deep-dive analysis rates green and that are still moderately valued: the price-earnings ratio is positive and no higher than 20. Both together are rare, so the portfolio often holds a lot of cash. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of the two conditions.

• Walker 40/40

  Buys by Patrick Walker’s screen: earnings per share or revenue have grown by at least 40 percent against the previous year — either one is enough. On top of that the share must sit no more than 20 percent below its highest level of the past twelve months, rank among the market’s strongest performers, cost more than 20 dollars and change hands briskly. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. A position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list or it is no longer rated green.

• Small Caps with Growth

  Buys small companies worth between 10 and 500 million dollars whose revenue and earnings per share both grew by at least 30 percent in the latest quarter and whose earnings power ranks in the strongest sixth of all shares. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The list is usually short, so the portfolio often holds a lot of cash. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it drops off the list or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• Cash Flow & Green Light

  Buys companies that generate a lot of free cash relative to what they cost on the market and are growing at the same time: the market value is no more than four times what was left over across the past four quarters, each of those four quarters was positive, and revenue and earnings per share are higher than they were a year and a half ago. On top of that our deep-dive analysis has to rate the company green — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough here. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions.

• Short Squeeze

  Buys growing companies that unusually many people are betting against at the same time: more than a tenth of the freely traded shares have been borrowed and sold. If the price turns up, those bets have to be covered and push it further. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. Such shares swing hard, so a position is sold as soon as the price falls 20 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Funds & Insiders

  Buys shares where two groups are building up at the same time: more funds are increasing their stake than cutting it, and the company’s own executives are net buyers of its shares. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as one of the two groups stops building up and it drops off the list, or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• Value Stocks

  Buys profitable companies at a low price: a high return on their own capital, a solid equity base, growing revenue and dependable cash generation — and still a price-earnings ratio below 12 and a price-to-book ratio below 2. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. That combination is rare, so the portfolio often holds a lot of cash. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of the conditions, or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• Relative Strength

  Buys the shares that have held up best against the wider market over the past months — the strongest tenth. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. A position is sold as soon as the price falls 10 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops out of the strongest tenth, or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• Lynch PEG

  Buys by Peter Lynch’s core rule: the price of a share, measured against its earnings, should sit below its expected growth rate. Expected earnings growth for the coming financial year has to be between 10 and 50 percent, and the financing has to be solid. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the rule or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• CANSLIM Type RS

  Built on William O’Neil’s CAN SLIM idea: buy the market leaders, not the laggards. The list holds leading tech and consumer stocks that clearly outperform the broad market — their price performance ranks in the strongest 15 percent or so over one month or over three months, or in the strongest 5 percent over a single week; any one of those is enough. The share also has to cost more than 20 dollars and be heavily traded, with more than 20 million dollars changing hands on an average day. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• RS New Highs

  Buys shares whose price performance ranks in the strongest tenth of the market and that sit no more than 8 percent below their high of the past twelve months — leading stocks at or near a new high. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Character Change (CC)

  Looks for fallen former leaders that are pulling away from their lows and could grow again: the share trades 45 to 90 percent below its all-time high, has recovered 45 to 200 percent off its twelve-month low, is up more than 2 percent over the medium term but still negative over four or five years, shows a base or an early uptrend (or twice its usual trading volume), ranks among the market’s strongest over the short term, costs more than 5 dollars and turns over more than 50 million dollars on an average day. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Strength on Stress Days

  Follows Ben Bennett’s idea and asks how a share behaves on bad days. A stress day is a day on which both the overall market and the share’s own sector closed down at least 0.5 percent. Over the past six months or so, those stress days are counted — how often the share still closed higher. That produces a ranking of all stocks. The list takes the strongest 10 percent or so — shares that get bought when everything else falls. The price has to be above 3 dollars and average daily turnover above 2 million dollars. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Oliver Kell: Doublers

  Buys off Oliver Kell’s screen: shares that have at least doubled since the start of the year, meaning they are up more than 100 percent. They also have to cost more than 20 dollars and be liquid enough — more than 500,000 shares traded on an average day over the last 20 trading days. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Qullamaggie: Top Gainers 1M

  Buys off Qullamaggie’s screen, the one he uses each week to build his watchlist of the strongest short-term names — kept exactly to his original filters: price performance over one month ranks in the strongest 3 percent or so of the market, the average daily swing is at least 3.5 percent, and more than 1.5 million dollars change hands on an average day over the last 20 trading days. Our universe is smaller than his, so there are fewer hits. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Qullamaggie: Top Gainers 3M

  Buys off Qullamaggie’s screen, here measured over three months and kept exactly to his original filters: price performance over three months ranks in the strongest 2 percent or so of the market, the average daily swing is at least 3.5 percent, and more than 1.5 million dollars change hands on an average day over the last 20 trading days. That leaves the medium-term leading trends. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Qullamaggie: Top Gainers 6M

  Buys from Qullamaggie’s biggest-gainers screen over six months: the share ranks among roughly the strongest 3 percent of the market over the past half-year, it moves at least 3.5 percent on an average day, and over the last 50 trading days it turned over more than 1.5 million dollars a day. These are the long-term leaders. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Qullamaggie: Trend Intensity (13/65)

  Buys the most powerfully trending leading stocks from Qullamaggie’s Trend Intensity measure: the average price of the last 13 trading days sits at least 22 percent above the average of the last 65 days. The share also ranks among the strongest 15 percent of the market, moves at least 4 percent on an average day, trades above its 50-day average price and no more than 10 percent below its 12-month high, costs more than 5 dollars and turns over more than 3 million dollars a day. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Stan Weinstein: Stage 1

  Buys shares in the basing phase as Stan Weinstein defined it: the price moves sideways and the 30-week average price flattens out after a downtrend. Weinstein himself treats this stage as a time to wait, not to buy, until the uptrend begins. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share leaves the basing phase and drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Near 52-Week High

  Buys shares trading no more than 5 percent below their 12-month high that also rank among the strongest 30 percent of the market — strength close to the high. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• High ADR (≥5%)

  Buys shares that move at least 5 percent on an average day and rank among the strongest 30 percent of the market — deliberately the volatile names with room for their daily range to expand. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Jeff Sun

  Buys from Jeff Sun’s momentum growth screen: quarterly revenue and quarterly earnings per share have each grown more than 25 percent from the same quarter a year earlier — both have to hold. The share also moves at least 4 percent on an average day, the company is worth between 2 and 25 billion dollars, the price is in an established uptrend and above its weighted 21-day average price, and it ranks among the strongest 20 percent of the market. The list is kept narrow on purpose. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Mike Webster: Power Trend Leader

  Buys leading stocks from Mike Webster’s screen while their uptrend is still healthy rather than overheated: for at least ten trading days even the daily low has stayed above the weighted 21-day average price, and that average sits above a rising 50-day average. At the same time the price is no more than three average daily ranges above the 21-day line, so the share has not run hot yet. It trades no more than 12 percent below its 12-month high and ranks among the strongest 20 percent of the market. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Above the 50- & 200-SMA

  Buys shares trading above the average price of the last 50 trading days and above the average of the last 200 as well — an uptrend that is intact above both key moving averages. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, slips back under either of the two lines, or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• 21-EMA Trend

  Buys shares trading above their 21-day exponential moving average — the average price of the last 21 trading days, weighted toward the most recent ones — while the stock sits in a Stage 2 uptrend, the phase in which a share is trending up. It is a tight trend-following setup. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, drops under the 21-day line, leaves the Stage 2 uptrend, or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• Pocket Pivot

  Buys the pocket pivot from the O’Neil/Morales screen — an early sign that institutions are stepping in. The setup is a strong up day closing near the top of its range on volume greater than the heaviest down-volume day of the previous ten trading days, and all of it near the 10-day moving average. It often shows up before the stock visibly breaks out. A liquidity filter keeps barely tradable penny stocks out: the price has to be above 3 dollars and average dollar volume above 2 million dollars a day. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, or the share drops off the list. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Green Line Breakout

  Buys the screen from Dr. Eric Wish: shares breaking out above an all-time high that has been checked against the complete available price history. Above that high there is no old resistance left overhead, no price level from the past that could still stall the move. The long-history check throws out false signals — an old dot-com-era peak, for instance, that would otherwise pass for a fresh all-time high. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, or the share drops off the list. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• ATH

  Buys shares trading right at their all-time high — no more than 2 percent below it. The all-time high is measured over the complete available price history, currently going back to 2021. Above that level no old price resistance is left to slow the stock down, and every holder is in the green, a classic strength signal. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, slips more than 2 percent under the all-time high, or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• Tight & Near High

  Buys shares that go quiet just under their high: the daily and the weekly range are both tight, with the close landing at 85 or higher for the week and 70 or higher for the day on a scale of 100 measured from the low to the high of the range — in the upper part of both, in other words. At the same time the share trades no more than 8 percent below its highest level of the past twelve months. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, or the share drops off the list.

• Inside Day at Highs

  Buys shares posting an inside day: the whole daily range stays within the previous day’s range, so the stock swings less than it did the day before. On top of that, the share may trade no more than 10 percent below its highest level of the past twelve months and has to rank in the strongest fifth of the market, with a relative strength rating of at least 80 out of 100. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, or the share drops off the list. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Qullamaggie: Episodic Pivot

  Buys off Qullamaggie’s screen: a stock has to jump at least 10 percent in a single trading day, and it has to do that on very heavy turnover — more than 10 million dollars traded on an average day, with a share price above 3 dollars. A jump like that usually comes from a surprise that reprices the company: earnings or guidance with high revenue and profit growth, news from the FDA, a large contract. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share is no longer rated green, or the share drops off the list. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Qullamaggie: Continuation Base

  Buys off Qullamaggie’s screen: a stock has to have gained at least 25 percent over the last month and then settled into a tight consolidation whose lows keep rising, hugging the average price of the last ten trading days (no more than 3 percent away) while trading clearly dries up — the current week brings at most 70 percent of the prior week’s volume. Price has to be above 3 dollars and average daily turnover above 2 million dollars. The original thresholds are loosened slightly here, otherwise the list would sit empty on some days. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share is no longer rated green, or the share drops off the list. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Qullamaggie: High Tight Flag

  Buys off Qullamaggie’s screen: it starts with a large lead-in move — at least 50 percent up in roughly two months. The stock then contracts tightly: its last ten closing prices fall within a range of at most 15 percent, the price stays close to the average price of the last ten trading days (no more than 4 percent away), and volume declines. Price has to be above 3 dollars and average daily turnover above 2 million dollars. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share is no longer rated green, or the share drops off the list. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Ben Bennett: Power of Four

  Buys off Ben Bennett’s “Power of Four” screen: it looks for stocks where the average prices of the last 10, 20, 50, and 200 trading days sit extremely close together — no more than 1 percent apart. A price above that cluster counts as a breakout to the upside. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share is no longer rated green, or the share drops off the list. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Volume Surge

  Buys stocks that trade far more heavily than usual on a single day while the price moves with them: volume is at least twice the average of the last 20 trading days, and the price gains at least 3 percent that same day. That is all the list looks at — a clear volume surge with price movement. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share is no longer rated green, or the share drops off the list. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Volume Surge

  Buys stocks that traded more than 5 times their normal volume on two consecutive days — normal being the average of the preceding 5 trading days. A volume surge this massive and this sustained almost always comes from news, earnings, or large institutional buying. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share is no longer rated green, or the share drops off the list. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Inside Day

  Buys stocks whose entire daily range — high and low — sits inside the previous day’s: the price is contracting. That narrowing of the daily swing marks a pause or decision phase and often precedes a powerful breakout, with the direction usually following the larger trend. Price also has to be above 3 dollars, with average daily turnover above 2 million dollars. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share is no longer rated green, or the share drops off the list.

• Oops Reversal

  Buys a stock on the day it turns around at the bottom: it gaps down below the prior day’s low at the open — typical after bad news or panic — but then buyers step in and push the price back above the prior day’s close. That reversal itself is the buy signal, and it often marks a local low. The share also has to trade above 3 dollars and turn over more than 2 million dollars a day on average. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Bullish Reversal Bar

  Buys a stock after a turnaround inside a single trading day: the price first drops to a new low below the prior day’s low, then reverses sharply and closes in the upper third of its daily range and above its opening price. That shows buyers took control at the low — a reversal and bottoming signal. The share also has to trade above 3 dollars and turn over more than 2 million dollars a day on average. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Ants

  Follows William O’Neil’s screen: a stock has risen on at least 12 of the last 15 trading days, has gained at least 10 percent in total, and volume is rising. On the chart the daily gains then line up like marching ants — a sign of a smooth and steady accumulation push. The share also has to trade above 3 dollars and turn over more than 2 million dollars a day on average. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Tight Weekly Closes

  Buys stocks that have gone extremely quiet: the last three weekly closing prices sit within just 1.5 percent of each other, so the share closes week after week at almost the same level. That contraction in volatility points to a balance between supply and demand and often comes before a powerful move. The share also has to trade above 3 dollars and turn over more than 2 million dollars a day on average. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Strong DCR (≥80)

  Buys stocks that finish the trading day strong: the closing price sits in the top fifth of the day’s range, close to the day’s high — a sign of strength into the close. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Tight Weekly Range (WCR≥90)

  Buys stocks with a very tight, strong week: the weekly closing price sits in the top tenth of the week’s range and the daily close in the top 30 percent of the day’s range — both the week and the day end near their high. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Dan Zanger: Leader

  Follows Dan Zanger’s screen, which looks for institutional market leaders: quarterly earnings per share have grown by at least 50 percent, the share is among the strongest tenth of the market, costs more than 30 dollars, trades no more than 15 percent below its 12-month high, turns over more than 20 million dollars a day on average, and the company’s market value is no more than 10 billion dollars. The list names those leaders; the breakout out of a base on at least three times average volume, which Zanger also waits for, remains his own discretionary call. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets these conditions or is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Ben Bennett: Power Screen

  Buys from Ben Bennett’s Power Screen, which looks for accumulation in strength: over the last 50 trading days, up days carried more than a fifth more volume than down days. On top of that, the share has to trade above 10 dollars, average more than 200,000 shares a day, sit in the strongest tenth of the market for relative strength, and stand no more than 8 percent below its highest level of the past twelve months. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• Jim Roppel: 20/20 Screen

  Buys from Jim Roppel’s 20/20 screen, which hunts for the “elite of the elite” — market leaders with high growth and high relative strength. The filter asks for a price above 20 dollars, more than 30 million dollars of stock traded per day, more than 20 cents of profit on every dollar of revenue, more volume on up days than on down days, high relative strength over one, three, six and twelve months, a price above the average of the last 50 and the last 200 trading days, growth above 20 percent in revenue and in earnings per share (the latter for the coming quarter as well), reported earnings more than 20 percent above the analyst estimate, and accelerating earnings and revenue across three quarters. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as one of these conditions breaks or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Handpicked (Screen)

  Thomas’ personal pick: earnings per share up at least 25 percent from the same quarter a year earlier, and revenue up at least 20 percent. The balance sheet has to be healthy — at least 6 points on the Piotroski score for balance-sheet quality and an Altman Z of at least 3, the safe, distress-remote zone. On top of that, reported earnings in the most recent quarter came in above the analyst estimate, the company is valued at no more than 10 billion dollars, and less than 70 percent of the shares sit with institutions, which leaves room for large funds to keep adding. Financials and real estate companies are left out because revenue is not defined consistently for them. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• Quality Growth

  Buys companies with solid growth and a good earnings rating: revenue in the latest quarter is at least 15 percent above the same quarter a year earlier, and the company scores at least 70 on the rating for earnings per share — a grade where a higher number stands for stronger earnings development. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of those two conditions or is no longer rated green.

• EPS Acceleration

  Buys companies whose earnings are not just growing but growing faster than before: earnings per share rose more in the most recent quarter, measured against the same quarter a year earlier, than they did in the quarter before that. That acceleration is the only condition on the list — there are no further requirements on size, price or trading volume. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as its earnings growth stops accelerating or it is no longer rated green.

• High Revenue Growth

  Buys companies that grow fast without interruption: in each of the last six quarters, revenue came in at least 20 percent above the same quarter a year earlier. That screens out companies with a single strong quarter — the goal is steady, fast growth over a year and a half, which is why a company needs at least six quarters of reported history to qualify. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as that condition breaks or it is no longer rated green.

• EPS & Revenue Power

  Buys companies where earnings and revenue climb strongly at the same time: in the latest quarter, both earnings per share and revenue came in at least 30 percent above the same quarter a year earlier. On top of that, the rating for earnings per share has to reach at least 85 — a grade where a higher number stands for stronger earnings development. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• Mark Minervini Code 33

  Buys from Mark Minervini’s screen: earnings per share, revenue, and profit margin — the share of revenue left over as profit — all speed up at the same time for three quarters in a row. The combination is rare and reads as the fundamental signature of exploding demand; these are not turnarounds but companies that are already strong. Market value runs between 100 million and 10 billion dollars. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as that three-quarter acceleration no longer holds or it is no longer rated green.

• U/D Accumulation

  Buys shares where far more stock changes hands on up days than on down days: measured over the last 50 trading days, volume on rising days is at least twice the volume on falling days. That pattern is called accumulation — a sign that shares are being picked up rather than unloaded. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as up-day volume is no longer at least double down-day volume or it is no longer rated green.

• Institutional Accumulation

  Buys shares that the big funds and asset managers bought on balance in their latest filings: more holders raised their stake than cut it, and more shares came in than went out. What matters is not how large the stake is but that it is growing. On top of that, the price has to be in an uptrend. Around 2,300 actively traded stocks are covered; very small companies follow later. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as the big holders are no longer net buyers, the uptrend ends, or it is no longer rated green.

• CEO Buys

  Buys companies whose chief executive bought shares of their own firm within the last twelve months. To find them, reported insider trades are matched against the company’s list of officers — insiders being the people who know the business from the inside. Executives rarely buy without real conviction, which makes such a purchase one of the strongest insider signals. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as the CEO purchase falls outside the last twelve months or it is no longer rated green.

• Insider Buying (Net)

  Buys companies where insiders — the executives and other people who know the business from the inside — bought more often than they sold over the last twelve months; what is counted is the number of reported trades. When the people who know a company best are net buyers, that has historically been a positive sign. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as insider buys no longer outnumber insider sells or it is no longer rated green.

• Institutions + CEO Buying

  Buys only where two buy signals meet: the chief executive bought shares of their own firm within the last twelve months, and at the same time the big funds and asset managers added on balance in their latest filings — more holders raised their stake than cut it, and more shares came in than went out. The combination is rare, but it counts as one of the most convincing setups. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as the CEO purchase falls outside the last twelve months, the big holders are no longer net buyers, or it is no longer rated green.

• P/E Ranking

  Buys stocks that actually earn money and cost at most ten years’ worth of those earnings: the price-to-earnings ratio is 10 or lower, and the cheapest come first. The price-to-earnings ratio shows how many years of earnings the current market value costs. A low reading can mean a bargain — or a business the market doesn’t expect much of a future from. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as earnings are no longer positive, its price-to-earnings ratio climbs above 10, or it is no longer rated green.

• P/S Ranking

  Buys stocks that are cheap relative to their sales: market cap is at most 0.7 times revenue over the last four quarters — the price-to-sales ratio (P/S) shows how expensive each dollar of revenue is. The figure has to be positive, and the cheapest names rank first. Because no profit is needed, the yardstick also works for companies that aren’t making money yet. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the criteria or is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• EBIT Margin Ranking

  Buys companies that keep an unusually large share of every dollar of sales: at least 40 percent of revenue has to remain as operating profit before interest and taxes — the EBIT margin. It measures the earning power of the underlying business, and the most profitable names rank first. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the criteria or is no longer rated green.

• P/CF Ranking

  Buys stocks that are cheap relative to the cash their business brings in: operating cash flow over the last four quarters has to be positive, and market cap may be no more than ten times that amount — the price-to-cash-flow ratio (P/CF). Cash flow shows what actually flows into the till and is harder to dress up than reported earnings; the cheapest names rank first. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the criteria or is no longer rated green.

• P/FCF Ranking

  Buys stocks that are cheap relative to the cash they have left over: free cash flow over the last four quarters — the money that remains after all investments, for dividends, buybacks, or paying down debt — has to be positive, and market cap may be no more than ten times that amount. The cheapest names rank first. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the criteria or is no longer rated green.

• Tobias Carlisle: Acquirer's Multiple

  Buys from Tobias Carlisle’s screen: what would an acquirer pay for the whole business? Market cap and debt together may be no more than eight times operating profit over the last four quarters, that is profit before interest and taxes; that profit has to be positive, and the company has to be worth at least 200 million dollars. Financials are excluded because the number says little about them, and cash is missing from the dataset, which makes the number skew high rather than low. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the criteria or is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Benjamin Graham: Defensive Investor

  Buys by the criteria Benjamin Graham set out for the defensive investor in “The Intelligent Investor”: a market cap of at least 2 billion dollars, debt no higher than equity, positive earnings per share in every available quarter, and a most recent quarter above the oldest one. On price, the rule is a price-to-earnings ratio of 15 at most and, multiplied by the price-to-book ratio, no more than 22.5 — the Graham Number. Graham’s dividend condition is dropped for lack of data, and his ten-year history is approximated with the quarters available. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the criteria or is no longer rated green.

• Benjamin Graham: Enterprising Investor

  Buys by the criteria Benjamin Graham set out for the enterprising investor in “The Intelligent Investor” — the more active sibling of the defensive approach. Smaller companies are allowed, from 50 million dollars of market cap, but the price discipline is tighter: a price-to-earnings ratio of 10 at most, and a market cap of no more than 120 percent of tangible equity, meaning book value without goodwill. Debt may not exceed equity, earnings per share have to be positive in every available quarter, and the most recent quarter has to be above the oldest one. Graham’s dividend condition is dropped for lack of data, and his current-asset rules are approximated through the debt figure. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the criteria or is no longer rated green.

• Jim Slater: Zulu Principle

  Buys on Jim Slater’s “Zulu Principle” screen: growth at a bargain price among small- and mid-cap companies. Earnings per share are expected to grow 15 to 30 percent in the next fiscal year, and the price-earnings ratio sits at no more than three quarters of that growth rate. Day-to-day operations bring in more cash per share than the company reports as profit, so the earnings are backed by real money. Debt comes to no more than half of equity, the stock has done better than half the market, and market cap is 5 billion dollars at most. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets all of these conditions or is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Martin Zweig: Growth with Reason

  Buys on Martin Zweig’s approach from “Winning on Wall Street”: strong earnings growth confirmed by revenue — but never at any price. Earnings per share were positive in every available quarter, are up at least 15 percent from a year ago, and are growing faster than in the quarter before; revenue has also grown by at least 15 percent. The price-earnings ratio lands between 5 and 43 — below that something is usually wrong, above it no stock was cheap enough for Zweig — and the price trend over 12 months points up. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• Buffett Criteria (Buffettology)

  Buys on the screenable Buffett criteria from Mary Buffett’s “Buffettology”: the company earns at least 15 percent on its equity, carries little debt (at most half of equity), keeps at least 10 percent of revenue as operating profit, has posted positive earnings per share in every available quarter, higher in the most recent quarter than in the oldest, and had free cash left over across the last four quarters. What the numbers cannot show is the moat, the durable competitive advantage; that stays a matter of analysis. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• Buffett: Owner Earnings Yield

  Buys on Buffett’s pricing discipline: a good business is only a buy when the cash the owner could actually withdraw yields a decent return on the purchase price. The measure is free cash flow over the last four quarters: it has to be positive and worth at least 5 percent of market cap — so the market values the company at no more than twenty times that cash. On top comes the quality baseline: at least 15 percent return on equity, at least 10 percent of revenue as operating profit, and debt of no more than half of equity. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• Altman Z: Balance Sheet Fortress

  Buys companies whose balance sheet can withstand a recession. The Altman Z-Score — a figure that condenses liquidity, profitability, leverage, and revenue efficiency into a single bankruptcy early-warning number — sits in the safe zone of 2.6 or above in every available quarter. Added to that: at least 7 points on the Piotroski score, which sums up financial solidity in points, and interest coverage of at least 10, meaning operating profit covers the interest due at least ten times over. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• Dividend Aristocrats

  Buys companies that have raised their dividend every single year for at least 25 years in a row — through the dot-com crash, the financial crisis, and the pandemic. The basis is the actual payout history, added up per share and calendar year and adjusted for splits; where a shifted payment date breaks the streak only on paper, the curated S&P 500 Aristocrats list fills the gap. A company that delivers this long has a business model that survives crises — the list is still not a buy recommendation. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as the streak of 25 consecutive increases no longer holds or the share is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Top Dividend Stocks

  Buys the best dividend payers by our dividend score. Five traits earn up to 3 points each: dividend yield (from 1.5, 2.5, or 3.5 percent), the share of profit paid out (at most 75, 60, or 40 percent), years without a cut (from 5, 10, or 20), consecutive years of increases (from 3, 5, or 10), and annual dividend growth over the past five years (from 4, 8, or 12 percent). A stock makes the selection with at least 12 of the 15 possible points, calculated from the actual payout history. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as the score drops below 12 or the share is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• US Dividend Rockets

  Buys US stocks whose dividend has grown by more than 15 percent per year over the last five years — measured as calendar-year payouts per share, split-adjusted. Fast payout growth points to rising earnings and to management handing profits back to shareholders. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as its dividend growth no longer exceeds 15 percent per year, it is no longer listed in the US, or it is no longer rated green.

• NASDAQ Growth Stars

  Buys NASDAQ-100 members that grow fast without yet being priced astronomically: revenue over the trailing twelve months is more than 20 percent above the year before, and the company’s value including debt is less than ten times that revenue. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as it drops out of the NASDAQ-100, its revenue growth falls below 20 percent, its value is no longer below ten times revenue, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Fallen Angels

  Buys beaten-down stocks whose businesses keep making money: the price has fallen at least 40 percent over the past year, yet more than a quarter of its assets is still funded by equity, free cash flow over the last four quarters was positive, and the company is worth more than 2 billion dollars on the market. Whether the sell-off was overdone is for the individual analysis to decide. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as one of these conditions no longer holds or it is no longer rated green.

• Top High-Growth Stocks

  Buys the top scorers of Stefan Waldhauser’s High-Growth-Investing strategy: six metrics are each scored from zero to three points — enterprise value to revenue, gross margin, the Rule of 40 (growth and margin combined), revenue growth, debt ratio, and the price-earnings ratio divided by earnings growth. At least 11 of the 18 possible points are required. On top of that, revenue must have grown by more than 10 percent in every quarter and top 100 million dollars over twelve months, market cap must exceed 300 million dollars, and enterprise value including debt must exceed 5 billion dollars. Biotech, financials, commodities, and oil are excluded because these metrics do not work there. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets these requirements or is no longer rated green.

• Software Ideas

  Buys software and internet companies that grow efficiently: revenue growth plus the share of revenue left over as free cash adds up to more than 40 over the trailing twelve months — the so-called Rule of 40, which measures growth and profitability together. On top of that, company value including debt may be no more than ten times revenue, and market cap has to be above 5 billion dollars. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as one of these conditions no longer holds or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Top Performers Europe

  Buys European long-distance runners — in our universe, the German and French stocks: the price has gained more than 100 percent over five years, the company earns more than 20 percent on its equity, more than a quarter of its assets is funded by equity, more than 10 percent of revenue is left as free cash after spending and investment (last four quarters), and revenue is growing by more than 10 percent. Proven price performance backed by real operating quality rather than pure momentum. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as one of these conditions no longer holds or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Gary Antonacci: Dual Momentum (Stock Adaptation)

  Buys according to Gary Antonacci’s “Dual Momentum,” which demands both at once: the stock has to be up over twelve months — rising at all — and at the same time rank among the strongest roughly 20 percent of all the stocks reviewed, so rising more than the others. The original rotates between whole asset classes; here it is adapted to individual stocks on a twelve-month view. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day. A position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Gap-Up (≥3%)

  Buys stocks that opened the trading day with a price gap of at least 3 percent to the upside: the first price was at least 3 percent above the prior day’s close, measured against the most recent data snapshot. Gaps like this happen overnight, when new information — earnings, news, or analyst ratings — changes the picture; momentum traders read them as a strength signal, as long as the market doesn’t immediately close the gap again. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the upside gap is no longer at least 3 percent, or the share is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Power Trend

  Buys stocks in an unusually steady uptrend: the daily low has stayed above the average price of the last 21 trading days for at least 10 days, that average has been above the average price of the last 50 trading days for at least 5 days, and the 50-day average is rising. This is the condition in which trend traders are fully invested; when it ends, they reduce risk. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, this trend condition no longer holds, or the share is no longer rated green.

• Above 21-EMA Pullback

  Buys stocks that have pulled back to the average price of their last 21 trading days while the uptrend is still intact — the classic add-on point for momentum traders. The conditions: the price is above the average price of the last 50 and the last 200 trading days, its performance over the past 12 months is positive, and the daily low sits in the buy zone at the 21-day average — no more than 1 percent below it to 2 percent above it. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, one of these conditions is no longer met, or the share is no longer rated green.

• Matt Caruso: Sales Leader

  Buys from Matt Caruso’s sales screen: revenue grew by more than 40 percent in the latest quarter and by more than 40 percent over the last 12 months as well. On top of that, the share has to rank among the strongest 25 percent of the market over the past 12 months, trade above 20 dollars, and change hands actively — more than 150,000 shares a day on average over the last 50 trading days. The target is market leaders whose growth is accelerating and that the market is already rewarding. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Chowder Rule

  Buys dividend payers by the Chowder Rule: dividend yield plus the annual dividend growth of the past five years has to add up to at least 12 percent; if the yield is under 3 percent, it has to be at least 15 percent, so that pure growth without a meaningful payout does not slip through. The math uses the real payout history, meaning the calendar-year totals per share, adjusted for stock splits. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a share is sold as soon as it no longer satisfies the Chowder Rule or is no longer rated green.

• Recent Earnings Winners

  Buys stocks that reported quarterly results in the last 14 days, beat the earnings estimate, and were rewarded by the market for it: the price is up since the report — measured over the four trading days that followed — and the share ranks in the strongest 30 percent of the market over the past week. Fresh earnings winners often keep the move going for several weeks. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; every holding is kept for three months and then sold, whatever it has done — earlier only if the share is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Earnings-Gap + RS

  Buys stocks that reported quarterly results within the last seven days, opened with a price gap of at least 2 percent to the upside in the most recent data, and rank in the strongest 20 percent of the market over 12 months — the gap up after earnings in a share that was already a leader. The strongest stocks answer good numbers with a gap that never gets filled. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; every holding is kept for three months and then sold, whatever it has done — earlier only if the share is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Pros 80%

  Buys shares that are more than 80 percent in professional hands: institutional owners — funds, pension funds, asset managers — plus insiders such as management, founders and major shareholders together hold more than 80 percent, leaving only a small free float in private hands. That is not a quality judgment: for mid-size and larger US companies, high professional ownership is more the norm than a distinction, so the list is most useful in reverse, as a filter against shares professionals avoid. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as professional ownership is no longer above 80 percent or the share is no longer rated green.

• Levermann

  Buys by Susan Levermann’s scoring system, here with eleven of the thirteen original criteria: what the company earns on its own equity, how much of its revenue is left as operating profit, how much of the balance sheet is equity rather than debt, the price-earnings ratio, analyst opinion (deliberately read against the crowd for large companies), raised or lowered earnings estimates, expected earnings growth, and the price record over six and twelve months along with its momentum and a comparison of the last three months against the market average. Each criterion scores plus one, zero or minus one point; a share qualifies from four points for companies from five billion dollars in market value up, and from seven points for smaller ones. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as its score is no longer at buy level or it is no longer rated green.

• Stage 2 Leader

  Buys shares early in an uptrend — stage 2 in Stan Weinstein’s trend model. They have to trade heavily (more than 20 million dollars a day on average over the last 20 trading days) and rank among the market’s strongest movers: in the strongest sixth of the market either over one month or over three months. On top of that, the share’s industry must rank among the 25 strongest over three or six months — or the share alone must sit in the strongest tenth of the market over the past month. The idea is market leaders in hot industries. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Ben Bennett: Focus List

  Buys from Ben Bennett’s Focus List: growth companies in strong industries. The share’s industry has to rank among the 40 strongest over the last twelve months, earnings per share are expected to grow by more than 25 percent next year, and revenue grew by more than 30 percent on average over the last two quarters. The share also has to cost more than 10 dollars and trade liquidly enough, around 250,000 shares a day on average. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• High ADR — Hot Theme

  Buys volatile shares from whichever industries are running hottest right now: an average daily swing of at least 5 percent, an industry among the five strongest over the past month, a price above the average of the last 21 and the last 50 trading days, and a market value of no more than 10 billion dollars. Which industries count as hot is worked out fresh on every run, so new trends enter the selection early. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Patrick Walker: 30% EPS Growth

  Buys by Patrick Walker’s growth screen: earnings per share grew by more than 30 percent in the latest reported quarter, the share ranks in the strongest fifth of the market over twelve months, trades no more than 20 percent below its twelve-month high and above the average price of the last 50 trading days, costs more than 12 dollars and changes hands briskly (more than 150,000 shares a day on average), more so on up days than on down days — a sign it is being accumulated. Biotechnology and utilities are excluded. The share’s industry also has to rank among the roughly 70 strongest of 167 over twelve or three months. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• Joshua

  Buys by Joshua’s growth filter — let winners run, avoid losers. The precondition is an intact price trend: market value of at least 200 million dollars, a price above the average of the last 50 and 200 trading days, a positive six-month record and no downtrend. Revenue and earnings must both have grown over six quarters; shares without a current price-earnings ratio, such as loss makers, drop out, as do weak balance sheets (a rating below 50 out of 100 points, so below average, or no more than 3 points in the Piotroski balance-sheet check). The price-earnings ratio also has to sit below the industry median, and in the comparison within the industry a low valuation and low debt count most. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• TickerGuard Favorites

  Buys smaller companies that have been growing fast: earnings per share and revenue each rose at least 30 percent in the most recent quarter, the earnings-strength score is at least 85, and market cap is no more than 5 billion dollars. On top of the numbers, an in-depth stock analysis of our own has to vouch for the company — its story, its filings with the U.S. securities regulator and the uncomfortable truths in them. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. That rating says nothing about the entry price; the metrics take care of that. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• Side Finds

  Buys the side finds from our own research: unexpected, documented findings from our in-depth stock analyses — but only the ones you can actually build a trade from. Every entry passes three tests: it is surprising, it is documented, and it is tradable. Each one comes with a trade angle — direction, trigger, what to watch and over what time frame; the full chronicle lives on the Side Finds page. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day. A position is sold as soon as the price falls 20 percent below its highest level since purchase, and after six weeks at the latest — or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• David Dreman: Contrarian

  Buys on David Dreman’s contrarian strategy from “Contrarian Investment Strategies”: what everyone else shuns, but only with healthy fundamentals. On at least two of three valuation measures the stock has to sit in the cheapest fifth of all screened companies: price-earnings ratio, price against book equity per share, and price against cash flow from the business; the thresholds are set anew on every run. Added to that: market cap of at least 1 billion dollars, since Dreman favors large companies, debt no higher than equity, and earnings per share above the year-ago level in the most recent quarter. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• James O'Shaughnessy: Trending Value

  Buys James O’Shaughnessy’s “Trending Value” strategy from “What Works on Wall Street”: first the cheapest tenth of all screened companies is picked out by a combined valuation score built from five ratios — price to earnings, to book equity, to revenue, to cash flow from the business, and to free cash; a missing figure counts neutrally. From that group, the 25 stocks with the strongest price gain over the past six months go into the portfolio — cheap and already trending up. Market cap has to be at least 200 million dollars, and the selection is recalculated on every run. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a stock is sold as soon as it drops out of the selection or is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Dogs of the Dow

  Buys Michael O’Higgins’s mechanical classic: the ten Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks with the highest dividend yield — the “dogs” the market currently likes least. The original version buys them once a year and holds for a year; here the list is redetermined on every run from the current yield, with the Dow’s composition taken from a curated list as of June 2026. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a stock is sold as soon as it drops out of the ten highest yields or is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Dividend Nobility (4 Criteria)

  Buys on Christian W. Röhl’s dividend-nobility test across four disciplines: the dividend has not been cut for at least ten years; it takes between 25 and 75 percent of earnings — enough paid out, but nothing that eats into the substance; the yield beats the market average, meaning the level exactly half of all screened dividend payers exceed, redetermined on every run; and the dividend has grown over five years. The math uses the real payout history: the sums actually paid per share and calendar year, adjusted for splits. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added four times a year; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Mike Webster: Cross Fire

  Buys Mike Webster’s Crossfire screen in its original 2020 form: the stock is up at least 1.5 percent on the day and closes in the top fifth of its daily range, trades no more than 20 percent below its high of the past twelve months, and keeps its low for the day at least 1 percent above the weighted average price of the last 21 trading days. It costs at least 20 dollars, sees an average of at least 50 million dollars traded a day, and ranks in the strongest fifth of the market for earnings growth as well as for price strength, both overall and over the past three months. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase or the share is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Mike Webster: Down Days Tell Screen

  Buys from Mike Webster’s screen for weak market days: on a day when the market falls, the stock gives up no more than 1 percent and still closes in the top quarter of that day’s range. It also has to trade above its average price of the last 50 and the last 200 trading days, cost at least 20 dollars, turn over at least 20 million dollars a day on average, and rank in the strongest tenth of the market on both earnings per share and price strength. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Mike Webster: Recession Proof

  Buys from Mike Webster’s recession screen: revenue grew at least 25 percent in the most recent quarter, and averaged at least 25 percent growth over the last six quarters. The share also has to be strong on every timeframe the screen looks at — overall price strength plus three-month and six-month strength each in the strongest fifth of the market — cost at least 10 dollars, and turn over at least 20 million dollars a day on average. Webster’s reasoning: “Revenue growth carries you through a recession” — which is why this list looks at sales rather than earnings. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it no longer meets the criteria or is no longer rated green.

• Mike Webster: Swing Trading List

  Buys from Mike Webster’s swing trading universe, which is deliberately loose: not a tight selection screen but the liquid pool of names that swing traders — investors who play moves lasting a few days to a few weeks — pick their setups from. A share qualifies if it costs at least 10 dollars, has traded at least 600,000 shares a day on average over the last 50 trading days, turned over at least 60 million dollars a day on average, ranks among the strongest 40 percent of the market on price strength, and among the strongest 70 percent over three and over six months. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Oliver Kell: 52 Week Highs

  Buys from Oliver Kell’s new-high screen: the share closes essentially at its highest level of the past twelve months — no more than 0.5 percent below it. It also has to cost more than 20 dollars, have averaged more than 500,000 shares a day over the last 50 trading days, and swing harder than the market as a whole (beta above 1). Kell’s reasoning: a share at a yearly or all-time high has no overhead supply left above it — no older holders waiting to sell at a higher price. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Oliver Kell: Bull Snorts

  Buys from Oliver Kell’s “Bull Snorts” list — the bull’s snort: liquid shares that are trading up today and turning over at least double their normal volume, ideally three times or more. The share has to cost more than 20 dollars and have averaged more than 500,000 shares a day over the last 50 trading days. Kell’s reasoning: when somebody buys in unusual size on a given day, that footprint in the volume almost always shows up before the headline does. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Oliver Kell: Gappers

  Buys from Oliver Kell’s gap screen: shares that opened more than 3 percent above the prior day’s close today, with a price above 20 dollars and more than 500,000 shares traded on an average day over the last 50 trading days. That leaves only the liquid part of all upward gaps: in large, heavily traded names a jump like this happens almost only on real news — quarterly figures, new guidance or an analyst upgrade. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Oliver Kell: Strength on Down Day

  Buys from Oliver Kell’s screen for weak market days: liquid, volatile shares that close the day higher — price above 20 dollars, more than 500,000 shares traded on an average day over the last 50 trading days, and a beta above 1, meaning the share swings harder than the market as a whole. Kell uses the list on days when the market is down 1 to 2 percent: a share that closes green then is holding up better than the market. On strong market days the list is naturally long and says little. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Pradeep Bonde: $ Breakout Bullish

  Buys off Pradeep Bonde’s dollar breakout: the stock closes at least 0.90 dollars above its opening price — measured in dollars instead of percent, so the list mainly turns up high-priced stocks with real buying pressure across the whole trading day. The opening price is derived from the prior close and the gap at the open, and at least 100,000 shares have to change hands that day. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Pradeep Bonde: 4% Breakout Bullish

  Buys off Pradeep Bonde’s most-used screen: the stock gains at least 4 percent in a single trading day, and it does so on above-average volume — more shares change hands than usual. At least 100,000 shares have to trade that day, and the price has to be above 3 dollars, which screens out penny stocks. Per Stockbee, that burst of momentum is what kicks off every swing phase. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Mark Minervini: Trend Criteria — 1 Month

  Buys off Mark Minervini’s trend template in the minimum version from his book: the price sits above the average price of the last 50, 150, and 200 trading days, those three averages line up in ascending order, and the 200-day average has been rising for at least a month. On top of that, the stock trades at least 30 percent above its 12-month low, no more than 25 percent below its 12-month high, and its price performance beats 70 percent of all stocks. For Minervini this is not a buy signal but a pre-filter: only stocks in that shape qualify at all. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the stock no longer meets the template, or it is no longer rated green.

• Chris Perruna: Daily New Highs

  Buys off Chris Perruna’s new-high screen: the stock closes practically at its 12-month high — no more than 0.5 percent below it — earnings are up both against the prior quarter and against the year-ago quarter, and its price performance beats 80 percent of all stocks. Average volume over the last 50 trading days has to be at least 100,000 shares a day, and today’s volume at least 15 percent above that average. New highs, in other words, only with growing earnings and confirmation from trading volume. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Chris Perruna: Within 15% of Highs

  Buys off Chris Perruna’s base screen for stocks within striking distance of their high: the stock trades no more than 15 percent below its 12-month high, earnings are up both against the prior quarter and against the year-ago quarter, and its price performance beats 80 percent of all stocks. Average volume has to be at least 100,000 shares a day, with today’s volume at least 50 percent above normal. That combination catches stocks turning back toward their high on fresh volume after a brief pause. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Richard Moglen: 1 Week Top Performers

  Buys off Richard Moglen’s weekly watchlist: the strongest liquid stocks of the past trading week — up at least 15 percent over the last four trading days, trading at least 10 million dollars a day on average, and with price performance better than 70 percent of all stocks. Moglen’s original values aren’t public, so the thresholds used here were calibrated by TickerGuard; the purpose is the same — whatever leads the pack this week belongs on next week’s list. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Richard Moglen: Gaps and Strong Moves

  Buys off Richard Moglen’s daily screen for gaps that hold: the stock opens at least 3 percent above the prior day’s close and still finishes the day up at least 5 percent, on heavier volume than usual. The gap together with strength into the close separates genuine re-ratings from one-day wonders that hand the move straight back. The thresholds were calibrated by TickerGuard. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Richard Moglen: Top Performers 3/6 Month

  Follows Richard Moglen’s leader list (TraderLion): stocks whose price performance ranks in the strongest tenth of the market — over three months or over six months, either one is enough — and that trade at least 5 million dollars a day on average. These are the established leaders of the current market move. Because Moglen’s original thresholds aren’t public, the list ranks stocks against the market instead of using fixed percentage hurdles, so it holds the top tenth in every market phase. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Ameet Rai: Daily Liquidity

  Follows Ameet Rai’s daily liquidity list (TraderLion) with his original criteria: every stock with at least 6 million shares traded today and a price above 15 dollars. This is not a selective screen but Rai’s daily snapshot — what are the market’s most liquid stocks doing? Where institutions have to trade, he argues, the market’s true direction shows up first. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Kathy Donnelly: Liquid Movers Up

  Follows Kathy Donnelly’s Liquid Movers idea from her Lifecycle Trade approach: stocks that trade at least 20 million dollars a day on average and are up at least 5 percent today. Big moves on big liquidity are institutional footprints, and for Donnelly they are the raw material for the long watchlist — especially among companies that went public only recently. The threshold for the daily gain does not come from Donnelly herself; it was calibrated by TickerGuard. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green. If the list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash.

• Stan Weinstein: Checklist

  Follows Stan Weinstein’s buy checklist from “Secrets for Profiting in Bull and Bear Markets”: the stock is in Weinstein’s Stage 2, a fresh uptrend. Its price is above the average price of the last 200 trading days, and that average is itself rising. Its price performance ranks in the strongest 30 percent of the market, and it trades no more than 15 percent below its high of the past twelve months, so there is little old resistance overhead. On up days it also changes hands at least one and a half times as much as on down days — a sign that buyers are accumulating. Weinstein’s 30-week line is mapped via the 200-day line. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. The check and any new purchase happen every trading day; a position is sold as soon as the price falls 15 percent below its highest level since purchase, the share drops off the list, or it is no longer rated green.

• Ted Zhang: Super Stock Universe

  Buys from Ted Zhang’s “Magic Elixir” universe, where a stock has to bring four things at once. It trades at least 50 million dollars a day on average, its average daily swing is at least 2 percent, it is already in a big move — up at least 50 percent over six months or 100 percent over twelve months, either one is enough — and it is growing: earnings per share or revenue in the last quarter are at least 25 percent above the year before. Zhang’s thesis is that if one of those four traits is missing, so is the fuel. The thresholds were calibrated by TickerGuard. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• William O'Neil (CAN SLIM)

  Buys on the countable part of William O’Neil’s CAN SLIM criteria from “How to Make Money in Stocks”: earnings per share and revenue in the last quarter are each at least 25 percent above the year before, and the multi-year earnings history ranks in the strongest 20 percent of the market. The share trades no more than 10 percent below its high of the past twelve months, its price performance also ranks in the strongest 20 percent of the market, and more funds bought than sold it in the last quarter. The soft, qualitative points — new products, the direction of the broad market — are checked by the investor, just as in the original. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a stock is sold as soon as it no longer meets one of these conditions or is no longer rated green.

• Growth Gems

  Buys shares in companies that grow fast and get everything else right at the same time. Ten checks decide: revenue grows by more than 15 percent a year over three years, more than 10 percent is expected for the coming year, the share count grows by less than 3 percent a year, and revenue growth plus cash-flow margin add up to at least 40. On top of that: a gross margin of at least 40 percent that is not eroding, goodwill from acquisitions that does not grow faster than revenue, debt below twice operating profit, cash flow that covers the profits of the last three years, a return on capital of at least 15 percent or rising, and insiders who hold or keep buying. Only companies passing at least 8 of the 10 checks make the portfolio. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. New positions are added once a month; a share is sold as soon as it drops off the list or is no longer rated green.

Our own strategies

• Green Light

  Holds every US share our own analyses currently rate green, in equal parts. As soon as a share is no longer green it is sold on the next trading day. The check runs every trading day.

• Bankruptcy Candidates (short)

  Bets on falling prices at companies showing serious signs of impending insolvency. At most half the capital is committed; the rest stays in cash. A position is closed as soon as it moves 25 percent against us, and after twelve months at the latest.

• Handpicked

  Mirrors the operator’s real portfolio as of the start on 28 July 2026: three shares held and two bets on falling prices, all five in equal parts. The list is reviewed once a year; in between, a share is only sold if our analyses turn it red. A holding our analyses rate red is not opened in the first place — not even when it is a bet on falling prices. The operator’s share counts are in the disclosure — this portfolio trades the same names, but with the same $100,000 as every other one.

• Double Warning (short)

  Bets on falling prices, but only where several independent warnings meet: the balance sheet shows serious alarm signals, profit no longer covers the interest, revenue and earnings are shrinking, the share is in no uptrend and holds up poorly on weak market days — and our own deep-dive analysis rates the same company red. Without the red rating no bet is placed. At most half the capital is committed; the rest stays in cash. A position is closed as soon as it moves 25 percent against us, and after twelve months at the latest.

• Sharpest Triple (short)

  Turns the sharpest signal combination from our study of 792 U.S. bankruptcies into a portfolio. A bet is placed only when three things coincide: the company has declared that previously issued figures can no longer be relied upon, the auditor reports substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern, and current liabilities exceed total current assets. Historically that triggered just under nine times a year; 52 percent of those stocks lost at least 30 percent within three months — against 11 percent for stocks matched on price, trading volume and distance from their 52-week high. At most a tenth of the portfolio per position, never more than half committed at once, no more than five bets side by side. A position is closed as soon as it moves 25 percent against us, and after three months at the latest — beyond that, the study finds recoveries dominate. Four out of five of these companies survive the year; this is not a bet on bankruptcy but on the price path after the cluster.

Additional strategies

• Storm-Proof

  Buys the shares with the best overall grade but leaves out every one flagged by our insolvency radar. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. If a holding shows up on our insolvency radar, it is sold on the next trading day — or as soon as the share is no longer rated green. New positions are added once a month.

• Fair Weather

  Buys shares in steady uptrends — but only while the broader market plays along. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. If our market-breadth reading slips into the red, the portfolio goes fully to cash and only buys again once the reading recovers. An individual share is sold as soon as it loses its uptrend or is no longer rated green.

• Insider Trail

  Buys shares where at least two people from inside the company bought with their own money within 30 days. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. Every position is held for six months and then sold — or as soon as the share is no longer rated green.

• Fund Shadow

  Mirrors the reported US holdings of a fund we track. Whenever the fund discloses new figures — four times a year — the portfolio is rearranged to match. Anything the fund no longer reports is sold.

• Hot Stocks

  Buys the shares people are talking about most in the big investor forums right now. Only shares our own deep-dive analysis rates green are bought — yellow or no analysis at all is not enough. A position is sold as soon as the price falls 20 percent below its highest level since purchase or the share is no longer rated green — and after six weeks at the latest.

The yardstick

• The Lazy One

  Buys one Nasdaq-100 fund and one S&P 500 fund in equal halves on day one and never touches them again. This portfolio is the yardstick: it shows what doing no selecting at all would have produced — under the same cost and cash rules as everything else.

What the rating means

A stock's rating comes from the most recent published analysis of that company. It is not reinvented for the duel:

• Green (“Quality confirmed”): business model, numbers and balance sheet hold up to our review. The holding gets double weight in the portfolio.
• Yellow (“Open questions”): documented questions remain open. In the portfolios with the green requirement, yellow is not bought; in the four exempt portfolios the holding counts at normal weight.
• Red (“Substance risk”): at least one documented finding threatens the company itself. Never bought, and sold out of the portfolio.
• No rating: many stocks have not been analyzed yet. In the portfolios with the green requirement they are not bought — if a portfolio’s list holds no green-rated share, the portfolio stays in cash. In the four exempt portfolios the normal rules of that portfolio apply. Every portfolio page shows what share of its holdings is rated green.

Time horizon: a rating is not a price forecast for the coming days. It applies as of the date of the analysis and over a horizon of several years. The portfolios are long-term too and run without an end date; how long a single portfolio keeps a position is part of its rule set — from a few weeks to indefinitely.

Updates: holdings, prices and value are carried forward on every trading day, and so is the sell check. Purchases follow each portfolio's own schedule.

How our ratings are made

Which prices are used

Only the closing price of the US trading day is used — 4:00 p.m. New York time. Nothing moves inside the portfolios during the session; there is no intraday snapshot.

Every portfolio page states the trading day that its holdings, prices and value refer to. If a run is missed, that date simply stays where it is — no price from another day is ever slipped in.

Prices come from the same market data source that feeds the stock pages of this site. Cash earns interest through a money market instrument priced from that same source.

Conflicts of interest

The operator owns stocks himself. Which ones, in which direction and in what size, is stated here — in plain numbers, not as a possibility:

These entries are maintained in one single place and carry the date they were last confirmed. The same list produces the notice on every affected analysis and on every portfolio page where such a holding appears. Change a position, and it changes everywhere at once.

We receive no payment for producing an analysis or a portfolio, or for its conclusion — neither from the companies concerned nor from third parties. Some pages of this site carry labeled partner links, for example to brokers. They have no influence on what a portfolio buys or sells.

What we compare against

Every curve carries two comparison lines: the Nasdaq 100 and the S&P 500, both as US index funds (QQQ and SPY). Three differences matter when you read that comparison:

• A different universe. Both indices consist of the largest US companies. Several portfolios also buy small caps — smaller firms whose shares trade less often. So the comparison is not like for like.
• A different range of swings. A portfolio of at most 15 holdings swings harder than an index of 100 or 500. A lead can therefore simply mean more risk was taken — and a shortfall the opposite.
• A different treatment of dividends. In the portfolios, distributions arrive as cash and raise the portfolio value. Whether an index line includes distributions depends on how that line is calculated.

That is why "The Lazy One" runs alongside as the yardstick: on day one it buys one Nasdaq-100 fund and one S&P 500 fund in equal halves and never touches them again — under exactly the same rules as every other portfolio, with the same order costs, the same cash rule and the same treatment of dividends. If you want to know whether picking stocks is worth anything at all, that is the line to look at.

Change log

Every rule set carries a version number. Change a rule and the number goes up, and the change appears in this table with its date. Nothing is edited after the fact.

Recommendation history

Every purchase and every sale of every portfolio stays visible for good: date, stock, number of shares, price, order costs and the rule that triggered it. Nothing is removed afterwards, least of all a bad call.

Art. 4(1)(i) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/958 requires an overview of the recommendations issued on an instrument over the past twelve months. The history in the Portfolio Duel is not trimmed after twelve months — it stays complete.

To the portfolios and their history