Update on My Watch List
I’m often asked how I go about picking stocks for my Buy List. The answer is really quite simple. I don’t have a magic formula and I hate stock screeners.
Instead, I have a Watch List of about 100 stocks that I try to follow. These are what I would call “really good companies.” They’re in the top tier of Corporate America. It’s taken me years to build up this list and I change it often.
The Watch List serves as the minor leagues for my Buy List. It’s from this list that almost all candidates for the Buy List come, and it’s where they return after they’ve been deleted.
Let me make it clear that I’m not recommending any of these stocks listed below. That’s what the Buy List is for. I just wanted to show you which stocks make the first cut in the process. If a stock is on this list, you can be pretty sure it’s a decent company (though the price may not be).
My secret formula is nothing more than watching really good companies and making a move when the price looks good.
| Company |
Symbol |
| Abbott Laboratories |
ABT |
| Alliance Data Systems |
ADS |
| AmerisourceBergen |
ABC |
| Ametek Inc. |
AME |
| Ansys, Inc. |
ANSS |
| AutoZone, Inc. |
AZO |
| Balchem Corp. |
BCPC |
| Ball Corporation |
BLL |
| Baxter International Inc. |
BAX |
| Becton, Dickinson |
BDX |
| Biogen Idec Inc. |
BIIB |
| Cardtronics Inc. |
CATM |
| Cerner Corporation |
CERN |
| Church & Dwight |
CHD |
| Colgate-Palmolive |
CL |
| Costco Wholesale |
COST |
| CVS Caremark |
CVS |
| Danaher Corp. |
DHR |
| DaVita HealthCare Partners |
DVA |
| DENTSPLY International Inc. |
XRAY |
| Dick’s Sporting Goods |
DKS |
| Encore Capital Group, Inc. |
ECPG |
| Epiq Systems, Inc. |
EPIQ |
| Fastenal Company |
FAST |
| First Cash Financial Services |
FCFS |
| FMC Technologies, Inc. |
FTI |
| Gartner Inc. |
IT |
| Global Payments Inc. |
GPN |
| Hanger, Inc. |
HGR |
| HEICO Corporation |
HEI |
| Henry Schein, Inc. |
HSIC |
| Hormel Foods Corporation |
HRL |
| HSN, Inc. |
HSNI |
| IDEX Corporation |
IEX |
| IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. |
IDXX |
| IntercontinentalExchange Group |
ICE |
| International Flavors & Fragrances |
IFF |
| Intuit Inc. |
INTU |
| IPC The Hospitalist Company |
IPCM |
| Jack Henry & Associates Inc. |
JKHY |
| Johnson & Johnson |
JNJ |
| McCormick & Company |
MKC |
| Mettler-Toledo International Inc. |
MTD |
| MICROS Systems, Inc. |
MCRS |
| MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc. |
MWIV |
| NetScout Systems, Inc. |
NTCT |
| Nike, Inc. |
NKE |
| OpenTable, Inc. |
OPEN |
| OSI Systems, Inc. |
OSIS |
| Panera Bread Company |
PNRA |
| Papa John’s |
PZZA |
| PetSmart, Inc. |
PETM |
| Portfolio Recovery Associates |
PRAA |
| Prosperity Bancshares Inc. |
PB |
| ResMed Inc. |
RMD |
| Reynolds American Inc. |
RAI |
| Rollins Inc. |
ROL |
| Sensient Technologies |
SXT |
| Signature Bank |
SBNY |
| Silgan Holdings Inc. |
SLGN |
| Snap-on Inc. |
SNA |
| SolarWinds, Inc. |
SWI |
| South Jersey Industries |
SJI |
| St. Jude Medical Inc. |
STJ |
| Stamps.com Inc. |
STMP |
| Starbucks Corporation |
SBUX |
| Stericycle, Inc. |
SRCL |
| Steven Madden, Ltd. |
SHOO |
| Target Corp. |
TGT |
| Teradata Corporation |
TDC |
| Texas Roadhouse, Inc. |
TXRH |
| The Buckle, Inc. |
BKE |
| The Coca-Cola Company |
KO |
| The TJX Companies, Inc. |
TJX |
| Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. |
TMO |
| Thoratec Corp. |
THOR |
| Tractor Supply Company |
TSCO |
| Tupperware Brands |
TUP |
| Tyler Technologies, Inc. |
TYL |
| United Stationers Inc. |
USTR |
| V.F. Corporation |
VFC |
| Varian Medical |
VAR |
| Visa Inc. |
V |
| Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. |
VSI |
| W.W. Grainger, Inc. |
GWW |
| Wabtec |
WAB |
| Walgreen Co. |
WAG |
| Waters Corporation |
WAT |
| WellPoint Inc. |
WLP |
| World Acceptance Corp. |
WRLD |
| Zimmer Holdings, Inc. |
ZMH |
Posted by Eddy Elfenbein on March 6th, 2014 at 10:05 am
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.
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Eddy Elfenbein is a Washington, DC-based speaker, portfolio manager and editor of the blog Crossing Wall Street. His Buy List has beaten the S&P 500 over the last 20 years. (more)
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