As you've glanced through long lists of our recent articles, have you ever wondered which ones have grabbed the attention of the most readers? Well, I've wondered that myself, so I did a little digging. Here's a list of 10 of our most-read recent articles. (And dagnabbit -- much to my surprise, my "The Poetry of Investing" article inexplicably didn't make the cut.)
Check out some of these articles. In them, you'll find some stocks you might want to buy or sell, and your portfolio may thank you for it later. Better still, it's likely that the articles will teach you a thing or two about investing.
The Coming Tech Boomby Todd Wenning
Todd begins his piece thusly: "If the first six years of this century are any indication, 21st-century innovation will prove to be even more prolific than the 20th. Consider the social and cultural changes brought about by YouTube, which was recently acquired by Google
How to Cheat the Marketby James Early
Here's a good question: "Can individual investors beat the market?" You might think that a Fool writer would offer a resounding "Yes!" in response. Not James Early. He offers instead an emphatic "No." He then goes on to explain what kinds of companies offer investment results 11% higher than the glamorous stocks that are often in the news.
6 Foreign Stocks With Star Powerby Nathan Parmelee
Nathan offers up half a dozen international stocks that have received five stars, the top rating, in our Motley Fool CAPS stock-rating service, and explains how and why you might want to dig for more. (Two of his findings are Unilever
The Best Stocks for New Moneyby Rex Moore
Rex asks a tough question: "If I told you I'd hand you some money to buy a few shares of a stock, but only if you could tell me which company was at the top of your buy list, could you do it?" For most people, the answer is no. Yet Rex explains why keeping an up-to-date short list of your best investing ideas is crucial. He also offers some companies that have turned up in his stock screens for possible undervaluation, such as Texas Instruments
7 Surprising 1-Star Stocksby Matt Koppenheffer
With a new tool at his disposal (the new Motley Fool CAPS investment research service), Matt checks out some poorly rated stocks that have shown some life in the previous month. These are well worth investigating because while some might be "enjoying their swan song," others may be "poised to skyrocket." Some companies he mentions: StemCells and ISIS Pharmaceuticals.
Dead by 3:59 P.M.by Rick Aristotle Munarriz
Rick explains that while it can be immensely profitable to invest in small, dynamic growers, you don't have to rush into them. He lists some of the very successful recommendations from our Rule Breakers newsletter service (some have doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled in value), and also points out how you could have waited a while after they were recommended and still done very well. Click in to learn more.
Why Value Trumps Growthby Chuck Saletta
Which stocks are the ones that turn our heads the most and get us drooling? It's frequently the high-flying growth stocks, not the value plays. But Chuck explains that "time and time again, value investors have triumphed over the market. Not only that, but value investors have been winning for well over half a century ." He adds, "Virtually all of the greatest investors -- Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Charles Munger, John Neff, Walter Schloss -- earned their fortunes by following value principles." He then goes on to explain why this is so.
The Secrets of Nine-Figure Fortunesby Todd Wenning
Todd has worked with people sporting nine-figure fortunes. They're more than millionaires -- they're 100-millionaires. How did they get there? He offers two secrets. Here's one: "First, they picked the right stocks. But their picks weren't the hotshot fads of the day. Oh, no. A look at their portfolios revealed almost nothing but blue chips ." Click in to read the other secret.
Buy High, Sell Higherby Shannon Zimmerman
Shannon points out that "some stocks never look 'low' . and passing them up because their multiples seem rich can take a toll on your portfolio." Very true. So what should we do? He offers what he thinks is "the best way to proceed with apparently pricey growth stocks": mutual funds. Click in to learn how to access a list of all his recommended funds, which as a whole are topping the market.
The Best Stock to Ownby James Early
James asks: "Do you have a very best stock? A stock that brings you closer to retirement year-in and year-out? One like Kraft, formerly American Dairy Products, which -- as tracked back by Dr. Jeremy Siegel -- turned $1,000 into more than $2 million over 53 years with dividend reinvestment? In terms of returns, Kraft has quite literally been the very best stock of the past half-century." He then goes on to list some of today's very promising dividend payers.
In sum
These are just a few of our most popular articles. If you'd like to review even more articles, bookmark this page.
Here's to a happier portfolio! (And hey -- consider forwarding this article to anyone whose financial future you care about. Just click on the "Email this Page" link near the top or bottom of the page.)
Yahoo! is aMotley Fool Stock Advisorrecommendation. You can check out our flagship investing service free for 30 days. Unilever and Kraft are an Income Investor picks.
Longtime contributor Selena Maranjian's favorite discussion boards includeBook Club, The Eclectic Library, Television Banter and Card & Board Games. She owns shares ofno company mentioned in this article. For more about Selena, view her bio and her profile. You might also be interested in these books she has written or co-written:The Motley Fool Money GuideandThe Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens. The Motley Fool is Fools writing for Fools.
