The 2008 Buy List

The 2008 trading year has come to a close. Overall, it was an awful year for stocks. The S&P 500 lost 38.49%, making it the worst year for stocks in 71 years. The Crossing Wall Street Buy List lost 33.60% which, once again, beat the market. Including dividends, the S&P 500 lost 37.00% while the Crossing Wall Street Buy List lost 33.01%.

For the year, 19 of our 20 stocks lost money. The only winner was a small 3.99% gain in WR Berkeley (WRB). The biggest loser was Nicholas Financial (NICK) which dropped 67.5%, although I’m sticking with in 2009. The second-biggest loser was Harley-Davidson (HOG) which dropped 63.67%.

The Crossing Wall Street Buy List again had less risk than the rest of the market. The daily volatility was 2.45% less than the S&P 500.

Here’s a spreadsheet detailing how the Buy List did in 2008. For tracking purposes, I assume it’s a $1 million portfolio and all the stocks are equally weighted at the beginning of the year. The rules state that once the Buy List is set, I can’t touch it for the entire year. Here’s how the Buy List did throughout the year.

Posted by on December 31st, 2008 at 5:33 pm


The information in this blog post represents my own opinions and does not contain a recommendation for any particular security or investment. I or my affiliates may hold positions or other interests in securities mentioned in the Blog, please see my Disclaimer page for my full disclaimer.