Hot List Newsletter

Most Recent Hot List Issues

3 most recent issues require subscription. Historical issues can be viewed free of charge.

12/30/2016

Validea Hot List

Where Do the Market and Economy Go From Here

As we close out 2016, we take a look at the what the latest economic news tells us and how it may affect the market going forward. In addition, we feature a look at market-cap, equal and fundamental index weighting excerpted from our latest Globe and Mail article.

12/16/2016

Validea Hot List

Taking a Look Back at 2016

After a lackluster 2015, the stock market bounced back strongly in 2016 . But more importantly, there was a major change in market leadership, with small-caps and value stocks overtaking the large growth companies that dominated the two years before. Check out our latest issue to see which of our guru strategies led the way during the year.

12/2/2016

Validea Hot List

Thinking Like a Contrarian - A Look at the Strategy of David Dreman

David Dreman made a name for himself by doing the exact opposite of what most investors were doing. That type of approach can be difficult to follow and require a lot of patience, but it also pays big dividends in the long-term. Read our latest issue to find out more.

11/18/2016

Validea Hot List

The Problem With the Predictions of Experts

We are subject to expert advice all the time in our everyday lives. And the stock market offers potentially the greatest concentration of so called experts of any area. But are these experts right more than they are wrong? And can you make money following their predictions? Check out our latest issue to find out.

11/4/2016

Validea Hot List

Examining the Value Strategy of the Great Benjamin Graham

The late Benjamin Graham may be the oldest of the gurus we follow, but his impact on the investing world has lasted for decades after his death in 1976. Despite being developed over 50 years ago, his investment strategy has continued to produce impressive results. Find out more about how Graham picked stocks in this week's issue.

10/21/2016

Validea Hot List

Lessons From the Gurus

History shows that beating the market over time is incredibly difficult, with more than 80% of fund managers failing to accomplish that goal. But a select group of investors have done exactly that, and they form the foundation of our stock selection system. The latest Hot List issue takes an in depth look at who they are and why we follow them.

10/7/2016

Validea Hot List

A Look at the Investment Strategy of Martin Zweig

Martin Zweig passed away in 2013, but his stock selection principles continue to endure. Our portfolio based on his book Winning on Wall Street has almost doubled the market's return since its inception in 2003. Zweig was a growth investor, and his methodology was dominated by earnings-based criteria. He looked at a stock's earnings from a myriad of angles, wanting to ensure that he was getting stocks that had been producing strong growth over the long haul and even better growth recently -- and he wanted their growth to be coming from the right sources.

9/23/2016

Validea Hot List

Value and Momentum: Perfect Together

Value investing works - and so does momentum investing. Thus, combining the two factors makes for a viable strategy. Such a combination may prevent a value-only investor or a momentum-only investor from suffering through extended periods of underperformance. In this issue of the Hot List Newsletter, we examine the combination of value and momentum investing. We also rebalance the portfolio, adding four new stocks to the Hot List.

9/9/2016

Validea Hot List

The Magic Formula: A Look at Joel Greenblatt's Simplistic Approach

Hedge fund manager Greenblatt's 2005 bestseller The Little Book That Beats The Market, lays out a way to beat the market using two -- and only two -- fundamental variables. The "Magic Formula," as he called it, produced back-tested returns of 30.8 percent per year from 1988 through 2004, more than doubling the S&P 500's 12.4 percent return during that time. Greenblatt also produced exceptional returns as managing partner at Gotham Capital, a New York City-based hedge fund he founded. The firm averaged a remarkable 40 percent annualized return over more than two decades.

8/26/2016

Validea Hot List

The Rate Debate

The debate about what another interest rate hike, the second in the current rate increase cycle which began in December 2015, would mean for the equity market continues to rage on. Will the 6+ year-long bull market begin to show signs of struggle, or will the market continue its upward path? In this issue we examine the impact of rising interest rates on the equity market. And, most importantly, address the bottom line: what should an investor do, if anything, in anticipation of additional interest rate increases in the months ahead?

8/12/2016

Validea Hot List

Investing and the Mindset of an Athlete

With the Olympics underway, a comparison of the mindset of an athlete with that of a successful investor appears to be a timely topic for this week's Hot List Newsletter. And, what better investor to profile with that theme in mind is Benjamin Graham. Graham's earlier years shaped his investment style, which was based on dedication to his craft and humility. Graham's strategy centers on conservative, low-risk purchases, identified by diligent research. His hard work paid off, earning him a gold medal in the circle of successful investors.

7/29/2016

Validea Hot List

The Facts about Corrections

Although the S&P 500 continues to hover near its recently established new record highs, investors appear to be becoming increasingly concerned regarding the potential for another correction, as indicated by recent exchange traded fund flows. However, is adopting a more conservative strategy a wise move? In this week's newsletter, we discuss this topic, citing market wisdom from Peter Lynch and Warren Buffet gurus, as well as top fund manager, Bill Nygren. We also rebalance the portfolio, adding five new stocks to the Hot List, including a direct-selling and e-commerce company as well as a manufacturer of steel wire reinforcing products.

7/15/2016

Validea Hot List

What Brexit Sell-Off

The market has recovered strongly since last month's Brexit vote, with the S&P 500 marching to new record highs. And, the Validea Hot List Portfolio has not been left behind. In fact, the portfolio has outperformed the broad market since the last publication of the Hot List Newsletter. In addition to an update on performance of the Hot List Portfolio, in this week's newsletter, we profile James O'Shaughnessy, a true quant whose disciplined approach to the market has served him very well over the years.

7/1/2016

Validea Hot List

The Brit Split

Macroeconomic events like Brexit matter. But what matters is not how they impact stocks in the short term, or what pundits predict might happen next in the process. What matters is how these events impact -- or don't impact -- the businesses of the companies in which you invest. In this week's newsletter, we examine what Brexit really means for your portfolio. We also rebalance the portfolio, adding five new stocks to the Hot List, including a mobile home maker and a geothermal utility.

6/17/2016

Validea Hot List

Go Your Own Way

Ignoring the crowd is often the right thing to do. That's true in life, and it's certainly true in the investing world, where many of history's most successful investors have demonstrated the ability to think and act with great independence. John Neff, who compiled one of the greatest track records ever while managing the Windsor fund for three decades, understood that notion quite well. In this week's newsletter, we take a look at Neff's advice on not following the crowd. We also look at some of the economic issues hanging over the market, including interest rates and the "Brexit."

6/3/2016

Validea Hot List

The "Hurry Up And Kiss Me" Market

The financial crisis and Great Recession were incredibly painful events for investors, the financial equivalent of going in for a good night kiss and having your date slap you in the face Because of that, many investors have spent the last several years sitting on the sidelines, not wanting to get hurt again. Seven years of rising stocks and a steadily improving economy haven't been enough to make them feel safe enough to dive back into the market. In this week's newsletter, we talk about how the market's year-plus pause has given those investors a chance to make their move -- and why that chance won't last forever.

5/20/2016

Validea Hot List

Profiting From "The Glitch"

Most investors don't have the patience to deal with problems. They are gung ho on a company and its shares until the water gets choppy. Then, unable to deal with some short-term turbulence in business performance and/or stock performance, they jump ship. In his classic book Super Stocks, Kenneth Fisher talked about how disciplined investors can profit from those impatient short-term thinkers. In this week's issue, we look at Fisher's concept of "The Glitch", and how short-term problems for companies can create opportunities for investors -- which appears to be what Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway are seeing right now with Apple.

5/6/2016

Validea Hot List

Looking for Pockets of Value

Stocks have rebounded sharply off their February lows. What has that meant for equity valuations? In this week's newsletter, we look at how the market stacks up against a myriad of valuation metrics. We also look at how smaller stocks currently look valuation-wise compared to larger stocks, which leads to some surprising findings that are impacting the Hot List portfolio. Finally, we look at one factor that appears to be having a major impact on valuations of different segments of the market: the incredible rise in popularity of index funds.

4/22/2016

Validea Hot List

The Dangers of "Penultimate Preparedness"

In this week's newsletter, we examine mutual fund legend Peter Lynch's concept of "penultimate preparedness" -- people's tendency to plan for a repeat of a crisis that is unlikely to repeat. We examine how this notion played out after the 2008-09 financial crisis and Great Recession, and how many investors suffered because of it. We also take a look at some of the Hot List's holdings, including one stock that is up more than 20% since our last newsletter two weeks ago.

4/8/2016

Validea Hot List

Be Boring, Like Buffett

This past Monday's men's national championship basketball game was wild, thrilling, and full of surprises -- exactly what a great basketball game should be. Of course, that's exactly what a great investment strategy is not. Investing isn't about predicting what stocks are going to go up tomorrow or next week or next month. It's about figuring out what something is worth, and paying less for it -- decidedly unexciting work. In this week's newsletter, we talk about why we leave the excitement to March Madness and embrace the boring beauty of unemotional, disciplined investing. We also look at why Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, and other investment gurus have embraced a "boring" approach to investing, and we take a look at three new stocks that are being added to the Hot List portfolio this week.

3/25/2016

Validea Hot List

A Guru Odd Couple

Warren Buffett and Joseph Piotroski are two investment gurus who are on polar opposite sides of the fame spectrum. But they share at least one interesting similarity. Piotroski's investment strategy matches up quite well with characteristics Buffett outlined years ago when discussing how companies could beat inflation. We look at Piotroski's strategy, which is up more than 22% so far this year, at a time at which US inflation is showing signs of heating up.

3/11/2016

Validea Hot List

Politics and Your Portfolio

The four main remaining Presidential candidates -- Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Ted Cruz --are offering an incredibly diverse set of prescriptions for the US economy and financial system. Some of those plans are making investors fearful that we are headed for financial doom if their guy or gal doesn't take the White House. But before you pack up the kids and head to Canada, read this week's newsletter, in which we examine just how much economic power the President really has -- and whether you might be better off channeling political anxieties into practical portfolio management tactics. We also examine six stocks that the Hot List portfolio -- which has been red-hot in 2016 -- is picking up this week.

2/26/2016

Validea Hot List

Buffett, Interest Rates, and Value Stocks

In this week's newsletter, we examine Warren Buffett's strategy, and how it might hold some clues as to the relative performance of value and growth stocks going forward. Buffett compares a stock's earnings yield to the long-term Treasury yield, and as interest rates rise, a stock has to offer a higher earnings yield to keep pace with Treasuries. That means pricey growth stocks start to look less and less attractive -- and value stocks start to benefit. In addition, we take a look at some of the Hot List's top recent performers, including Altisource Portfolio Solutions, up 28% since our last newsletter.

2/12/2016

Validea Hot List

The Correct Way To View A Correction

The correction that began last May has shaken up many investors. But the truth is that corrections are a necessary part of market life. In this newsletter, we look at how the ongoing correction has brought valuations back down to much better levels than we were seeing a year ago. The stock market/GDP ratio, for example, has fallen from a rather lofty 123% to a much more attractive 105% over the past seven months. We also take a look at a handful of new stocks that the Hot List is adding this week, including top value pick Thor Industries.

1/29/2016

Validea Hot List

Getting Contrarian

In this week's newsletter, we take a look at the contrarian strategy that we base on the writings of David Dreman. We look at stocks that this strategy is currently high on, and examine why Dreman found that the poor collective performance of Wall Street analysts creates opportunities for individual investors.

1/15/2016

Validea Hot List

The Year In Review

While 2015 was a difficult year for the stock market and many of our guru-inspired portfolios, there were bright spots. In this newsletter, we look at some of our better performing strategies for the year (including our Motley Fool-inspired approach) as well as some of the strategies that brought up the rear. We also discuss what investors should expect in 2016, and what they can do to best position their portfolios for long-term success.
Performance Disclaimer: Returns presented on Validea.com are model returns and do not represent actual trading. As a result, they do not incorporate any commissions or other trading costs or fees. Model portfolios with inception dates on or after 12/30/2005 include a combination of back tested and live model returns. The back-tested performance results shown are hypothetical and are not the result of real-time management of actual accounts. The back-testing of performance differs from actual account performance because the investment strategy may be adjusted at any time, for any reason and can continue to be changed until desired or better performance results are achieved. Back-tested returns are presented to provide general information regarding how the underlying strategy behind the portfolio performed in our historical testing. A back-tested strategy has the benefit of hindsight and the results do not reflect the impact that material economic or market factors may have had on advisor's decision-making if actual client assets were being managed using this approach. The model portfolios offered on Validea are concentrated and as a result they will exhibit high levels of volatility and their performance can be substantially impacted by the performance of individual positions.

Optimal portfolios presented on Validea.com represent the rebalancing period that has led to the best historical performance for each of our equity models. Each optimal portfolio was determined after the fact with performance information that was not available at portfolio inception. As a result, an investor could not have invested in the optimal portfolio since its inception. Optimal portfolios are presented to allow investors to quickly determine the portfolio size and rebalancing period that has performed best for each of our models in our historical testing.

Both the model portfolio and benchmark returns presented for all equity portfolios on Validea.com are not inclusive of dividends. Returns for our ETF portfolios and trend following system, and the benchmarks they are compared to, are inclusive of dividends. The S&P 500 is presented as a benchmark because it is the most widely followed benchmark of the overall US market and is most often used by investors for return comparison purposes. As with any investment strategy, there is potential for profit as well as the possibility of loss and investors may incur a loss despite a past history of gains. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Results will vary with economic and market conditions.

Validea.com is a research provider that is owned and operated by The Reese Group, LLC. Validea.com offers model portfolios, screening and stock analysis that is not customized to any individual. No information on Validea.com should be construed as investment advice. Validea Capital Management is a separate investment advisory firm registered with the state of Connecticut. Validea Capital offers investment management services directly to clients and is a separate entity from The Reese Group, LLC. The Reese Group and Validea Capital are affiliated entities and share partial common ownership.