Stock-picking System Returns 55.8% in 2003, 36.2% Per Year Since 1998

A stock-picking system that has averaged 36.2% per year since 1998 has closed out 2003 with a gain of 55.8%. The system has outperformed the S&P 500 six years in a row and has made a profit every year, even during the recent three-year bear market.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) January 6, 2003--A stock-picking system that has averaged 36.2% per year since 1998 has closed out 2003 with a gain of 55.8%. The system was developed by Rex Jacobsen, Sr. Editor of the online investment newsletter BeatTheStockMarket.com. The system has outperformed the S&P 500 six years in a row and has made a profit every year, even during the recent three-year bear market.

The stock-picking system seeks to find undervalued companies that are below Wall Street's radar and are poised to break out and make significant gains. For instance, the system signaled to buy Lucent Technologies. Three years later it signaled to sell Lucent for a 542% gain. In 2003, stocks like Gen-Probe (+203%) and Fording (+112%) helped power BeatTheStockMarket.com's model stock portfolio to its sixth consecutive year of positive gains and its third best performance ever.

"We can't expect to time the top of every stock perfectly like we did with Lucent Technologies," says Jacobsen, the developer of the stock-picking system. "The system missed Lucent's top by only ten days over the course of holding the stock for three years. After we sold the stock, Lucent tumbled and we have instead gone on to buy stocks like Marine Products which is now up 328%."

"This year we introduced a few more model portfolios for the readers of our online investment newsletter," Jacobsen continued. "We started an options portfolio on July 31 and in the five months since, the options we recommended on that day have increased in value by 156%. One option (Zimmer Holdings) is up 506% and still has nearly 80 days to go until expiration."

"For subscribers interested in growth and income, we have created a model stock portfolio featuring dividend-paying blue chip stocks such as Altria and LSI Industries. Those two stocks, which were up 81% and 58% respectively in only eight months, helped the portfolio's value rise 34.2% since we created it in May. Annualized, the portfolio's return was 56.5% in 2003."

"We also have several model mutual fund portfolios for subscribers to follow. The two best mutual fund portfolios had annualized returns of 60.2% and 45.3% in 2003, and all outperformed the market for the year."

When asked about the amount of risk that their recommended portfolios take, Jacobsen replied, "Surprisingly, our Primary Stock Portfolio, which has beaten the market six years in a row, has a Beta that is lower than the market, demonstrating that it has less risk than the S&P 500. Our only model portfolio that can be considered to be very risky is our Options Portfolio. We stress that options are not suitable for most investors and try to steer our subscribers toward one of our safer stock or mutual fund portfolios. But at the request of subscribers, we developed the Options Portfolio and are very pleased with its performance."

"Another thing investors have to consider when seeking an investment philosophy to follow is to find one that minimizes taxes and commissions. All of our recommended portfolios have low turnover except for the Options Portfolio and one of the mutual fund portfolios. All of the others have low turnover to minimize the impact of taxes and commissions. In fact, our Primary Stock Portfolio holds onto stocks for an average of nearly three years."

Jacobsen foresees another good year ahead in the markets and reminds all investors to ensure their portfolios are diversified and to invest for the long run.

For additional information on the stock and mutual fund picking systems and the investment newsletter that follows them, visit www.BeatTheStockMarket.com. The company has a 21-Day Free Trial that allows anyone to access their recommended portfolios.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Nancy Wagner

Media Representative

nancy@cuttothechasemarketing.com

425-415-6427

http://www.BeatTheStockMarket.com

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