Hot Stocks You're Buying Now

Welcome back to another Foolish review of the hottest stocks as ranked by our participants in Motley Fool CAPS. We're looking at the three best-performing industries over the past 30 days and your favorite long and short candidates in each.

Last time, dry-bulk shippers were the lords of the seas and the market. But no longer. Microprocessor makers such as Transmeta (NASDAQ:TMTA) and Motley Fool Inside Value pick Intel rule the realm today. As a group, the chip kings have enjoyed a 47.9% return over the past 30 days.

A hair behind the lords of silicon were the lusty souls who get paid to bare it all. Sultans of sin such as VCG Holding (AMEX:PTT) have produced ample returns over the past month, up 42.8% on average.

Who's in third? Companies specializing in software based on the open-source Linux operating system. Stocks from this sector, as a group, have improved by 36% since early October.

According to you, our Foolish readers, the best stocks in these industries to own now -- i.e., those with four or five of the maximum five stars in CAPS -- are:

And your favorite short candidates -- i.e., those rated with one or two stars in CAPS -- are:

Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know what you think by signing up for CAPS today. It's 100% free to participate.

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