As you've glanced through long lists of our recent articles, have you ever wondered which ones grabbed the attention of the most readers? Well, I've wondered that, too, so I did a little digging. And here's what I came up with -- 10 of our most-read recent articles. (And no, dagnabbit -- much to my surprise, my article "The Poetry of Investing" inexplicably didn't make the cut.)
In these articles, you'll find some stocks to perhaps 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 Finest Investment Vehicle Ever Designed," by Shannon Zimmerman
I won't leave you in suspense: The "vehicle" is our friend the mutual fund. Shannon explains: "Among other things, if you're after smart diversification and access to asset classes that might otherwise elude you, mutual funds should be your very first stop." He then mentions two critical things you need to look at when choosing mutual funds.
"5 Turnaround Stocks," by Tim Hanson
Tim offers "five ideas from brand-new Motley Fool CAPS, a community intelligence database that asks investors to rate stocks. In turn, every investor is ranked, as is every stock. So as more people participate and more time passes, we hope to be able to determine the best investor and the best stock in America and potentially the world." Two of the five turnaround stocks are Bausch & Lomb (NYSE:BOL), down 32% for the year, and USG (NYSE:USG), down 21%. Check out the article for the others.
"Another Path to a Billion," by Tim Beyers
Tim discusses how entrepreneurship has made billionaires out of many people and explains how we can ride their coattails. As examples of likely up-and-comers, he touches on two Motley Fool Hidden Gems picks -- First Marblehead, an education-financing specialist, and Middleby, an oven maker, of all things. First Marblehead, Tim says, "has nearly doubled in a few short months, yet insiders remain firmly committed, with a stake that exceeds 45% as of this writing." Middleby, meanwhile, "has been a four-bagger since Tom [Gardner] first picked it for the November 2003 issue. Insiders still own more than 20% of the shares of this small-cap superstar."
"Predicting the Next Wal-Mart," by John Reeves
John discussed the findings of Harvard Business School professor and consultant Clayton Christensen, who specializes in business innovations, especially "disruptive" ones. "Christensen considers biotechnology to be disruptive relative to big pharma, and he sees the future of the entire pharmaceutical industry being turned upside down," John says. "In the area of nanotechnology, Christensen advises investors to go slow. He explains how understanding the dynamics of the value chain will allow investors to identify the companies more likely to be successful." Read more for some examples of successfully disruptive companies, such as Motley Fool Rule Breakers recommendation Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG).
"The World's Hottest Stocks," by Motley Fool Staff
"Just last year, markets in Austria, Egypt, Turkey, and South Korea delivered better than 50% returns, and that's no one-year fluke. In 2004, Mexico, Indonesia, Iceland, and Egypt (again) produced similarly great results. Look back to 2003, and you'll find a near-doubling of the Brazilian market, as well as very strong performance in places as diverse as Mexico, Indonesia, and Singapore." If you're interested in investing in some very promising companies around the world, read on.
"The Best Stocks for a Balanced Portfolio," by Rex Moore
Rex makes a compelling case for turbocharging your portfolio with some small-cap stocks. He also offers some eye-opening examples of total five-year returns for some large caps (ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), up 60%) versus those of a few small-caps (Cognizant Technology (NASDAQ:CTSH), up 1,744%).
"Buy High, Sell Higher," by Shannon Zimmerman
Who says you always have to buy low and sell high to make good money? As Shannon explains, "Some stocks never look 'low,' after all, and passing them up because their multiples seem rich can take a toll on your portfolio." He then points out how you can get exposure to fast growers via mutual funds: "[Highfliers] Genentech (NYSE:DNA), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) [and the like] . appear in the lineup of one of my favorite mutual funds, a pick that's risen nearly 30% since I first recommended it to members of the Fool's Champion Funds investing service."
"Why Dividends Rule the Market," by Mathew Emmert
"The simple fact is that dividend investing has stamina and has been shown to outperform the market [including long-term bonds] over the long haul," Mathew explains. "It's also not going to pass quietly into the night as the next big thing comes along. That's because the types of companies that tend to pay dividends happen to be stable, high-quality large caps. Investors who stick to their guns with dividends over the long haul will be well rewarded for doing so."
"Wall Street's Worst-Kept Secret," by Paul Elliott
I'll spill the beans. Here's the secret: "Over the long run, small-company stocks outperform their mid- and large-cap peers, so smart investors own them. Period." Check out the rest, though, so that Paul can persuade you with some more information and some compelling examples.
"What to Do With $5,000," by Selena Maranjian
The title says it all. Read more for ways you can put $5,000 (or some other sum of money, of course) to work for you in a productive manner.
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 bottom of the page.)
Longtime Fool contributor Selena Maranjian 's favorite discussion boards include Book Club, Eclectic Library, Television Banter, and Card & Board Games. She owns shares of Intuitive Surgical. 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.
