J.K. Lasser's Pick Winning Stocks (J.K. Lasser)

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Summary: A GREAT BOOK FROM A MAVERICK INVESTMENT WRITER
Review: E.F. Mrkvicka, Jr's "Pick Winning Stocks" is a truly effective book outlining a system for successful stock market participation. It instructs you on how to develop a philosophy for investing that will allow you to ride the ups and downs of the market with a minimum of mental anguish. Using easy to understand language and pertinent, efficient charts the book takes you through the Trinity Trading System which will guide you from understanding the market, to picking winning stocks, to finally managing you portfolio in such a way as to wring out as much profit as possible. An added section concerning mutual funds and a complete glossary completes the picture. This is a great book for investors, one that everyone concerned with their own finances should own and study.

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Summary: I am going to try this system out
Review: I am starting today. I am getting wall street journals and recording the stocks that hit 3 times in the next 24 days.
I read some of the reviews and either people thought the book was written by the Lord above, and made bank, or that it didnt work. This is my guess as to why this is: The book DOES NOT SAY to buy any stock that trips across the radar screen, (like some of these boneheads obviously have done)instead read the book throughly instead of lightly going through it. The book states you have to look at the market conditions, and also the fundimentals of the stocks. Look at the earnings over the last few quarters. Look at the expected earnings for the future. Learn how to read a balance sheet. Two good books by "O'Neal who published Investors Business Daily Newpapers......one is how to invest in stocks. Look him up as a good suppliment to this book. Once you use that to help you filter out the bad stocks and learn how to read a balance sheet and to apply it to the trinity trading system, you should go on to accumilate some pretty nice wealth in your future. Anyway, I will repost in several months to tell you how it went.

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Summary: Educational and informative
Review: I learned a lot from this book - and it was easy and enjoyable to read.
I was impressed by the author's correct prediction of the crash of Nasdaq and the sizable correction of the Dow.
While not a perfect trading system (but then what is), I've done well with it. I suspect I would have done even better if the market wasn't experiencing its present turmoil.
I also noticed this; you have to read and understand the entire book to fully benefit from the trading system; i.e., the trading system is not a stand-alone, but rather a gestalt.

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Summary: Make your picks carefully
Review: I put the book's principles to work, and got mixed results. I would say roughly 75% of my picks based on this system produced gains in the first few days/weeks. I've probably traded 40 different stocks. I took the authors advice and moved my stops up as the price increased. However, after posting nice gains in the short term, and subsequently upped the stops as they moved, most of the stocks pulled back and hit the stop for a small gain or small loss. I had one stock post a 70% increase in a few of weeks. Check out CHH bought in early July. However, the stock had strong earnings, strength and it was also being heavily accumulated at the time I bought it. Most days 4 times the average daily volume, and up to as much as 20 times normal volume. Also, CHH is in the leisure industry which happened to be in the top 3 industries at the time. And it just so happens that it was pulling out of price consolidation or base - a perfect 'cup with handle' formation. See investors.com for further detail. It looks like all of these things made a difference in my best performing stock. I would suggest using TTS to alert you to stocks, but also check their fundamentals, volume and industry strength. Don't just buy any stock that hits your radar screen. In a bear market, I would suggest targeting a small profit, then sell it once it hits. I know that the author states that you should go long in a bear market, and short in a bull market, based on his belief that a stock that is bucking the trend shows real strength in whichever direction it is moving. But, I've found that most stocks will eventually follow the market in either direction. If I would have sold at a small profit, say 10-15% which most of the stocks that I picked made, I would have done better. Also, I would pick one stock at a time and let it prove itself instead of picking many stocks just to be fully invested. And I wouldn't limit myself to the prices that he recommends based on your portfolio, nor the number of stocks. I believe it's better to have a few good stocks and feed them, then to have many mediocre ones. Like he says, don't alter the princples of TTS, but feel free to tailor it to your needs. An interesting and good read even if you don't try it.

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Summary: I tried it with mixed results.
Review: I read Winning Stocks with great excitement and anticipation. The stock picking strategy seemed compelling. I found the explanations of our "rigged" stock market enlightening and eye-opening. However, when I tried the author's "Trinity" system, I found it relatively ineffective. I followed the strategy religiously for 3 months and lost a fair amount of money. Granted, it was during the down market of 3/01-6/01, but it's supposed to work regardless of conditions. Either I missed something or the period was simply unfavorable for any investor. I'd be curious about other people's results.

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Summary: It has worked for me.
Review: I wish this book had been written 15 years ago when I first started trading. No, not every trade has been a winner, but the majority have been. And, by following the author's advice, the few losers I've had have cost me virtually nothing, while my many winners have won BIG.
Bottomline: I've made more money trading this system then any other I've ever used.

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Summary: Educational and informative
Review: This was a very interesting book. I enjoyed it immensely. Unfortunately, the Trinity Trading System doesn't work. Since I'm a software developer, I created a database and program to automatically alert me to ALL stocks that fit Mrkvicka's strategy, and I've been monitoring it. It just doesn't work. The losers far outnumber the winners, and the winners have not been stellar. Anyone can sell a book that has a "sure-fire system," but in the end Mrkvicka provides only anecdotal evidence to back up the system. If you want an example of a statistically sound book, check out O'Shaughnessy's What Works On Wall Street or Siegel's Stocks for the Long Run. If Mrkvicka really believes in his system, he will publish valid data to prove it, not just list a few winners.