CNBC’s 2008 Portfolio Challenge: Initial Picks

I scratched my chin and occasionally picked my nose for a long time while coming up with these. For this year’s CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge, I decided to cluster my stock selections by sector.

Since we can create five portfolios with a minimum of four stocks each, I did just that: five portfolios with four stocks each. Going with just four stocks maximizes my chances; any more than that, and I’d be diversifying my portfolios too much. The name of the game here isn’t Who’s the Best Real-World Market Investor, it’s Who’s the Best Short-Term (Two-Month) CNBC-Fabricated-World Market Investor.

My initial picks:

Portfolio 1: Entertainment

Let’s see how Marvel does with this summer’s upcoming blockbuster movies. BTW, Iron Man rocked!

Portfolio 2: Energy

Energy’s a volatile sector and oil & gas prices are still rising. Perfect combo for wild stock spikes. Hopefully mostly up in the next two months.

Portfolio 3: Discount Shopping

Some people are already tightening their belts. That means more shopping at discount stores. Everyone loves cheap stuff!

Portfolio 4: Technology

I have the least confidence in this portfolio; I don’t know how strong technology will be growing in the next two months. But its volatility could make for some huge price swings.

Portfolio 5: First Week’s Top Market Movers

This one simply takes the first week’s top market movers. It’s a random grouping, a what-the-hell portfolio, because: what the hell.

What are your picks?

Author: Mike Lee

An idealistic realist, humanistic technologist & constant student.

4 thoughts on “CNBC’s 2008 Portfolio Challenge: Initial Picks”

  1. i thought about doing this contest again… for about 2 seconds… the last one was so poorly organized that i couldnt bring myself to suffer thru it again…

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