With such uncertainty, following an absolute return strategy continues to offer investors the biggest bang for their buck. There is no sense in guessing where the market will be down the road.

Instead, buy cheap stocks and sell stocks that are expensive. Then blend the two approaches together in one portfolio and chances are you'll make money.

Even with a huge rally in stocks, the S&P 500 ended the second quarter with a year-to-date gain of 1.78%. That is a vast improvement compared to the 11% loss at the end of the first quarter, but it's a minimal return for taking risk in the stock market.

Investors need to do better -- and they can.

Continue reading Take a pass on these ten stocks

Take a pass on these ten stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Do you think we're going to see more or less genomics research in coming years? End of discussion.

Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) is the leading provider of equipment for genomics researchers and its lead is growing. Buy and hold may be almost dead, but it certainly applies to ILMN. The stock has been trashed along with the market, but it's simply the best at what it does - and getting better.

Your best strategy for life-changing profits?

This is a stock to buy for the long term to use as a base for selling calls. Or, even better, you can write some credit spreads, as the calls have terrific premiums.

Don't miss the complete list of biotech stocks to buy now.

And for more ways to profit, check out:

• The Best Cheap Stocks to Buy Now
• 5 Ways Twitter Can Make You a Better Trader

Biotech stock #6: Illumina (ILMN) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cerus Corp. (NASDAQ: CERS) is a real company with real revenues, but no profits yet, and could be at a $50 million revenue run rate in 2010.

It is a pioneer in something called "pathogen inactivation" -- a technology that cleans blood, making blood banks almost completely indifferent to the health of donors. It's the perfect system in the age of AIDS, bird flu and other infectious disease. Cerus' INTERCEPT Blood System is currently sold in 18 countries, and a potential major catalyst is an expedited approval process in the United States.

The stock is trading around a buck -- down from nearly $8 about a year ago -- and it could be worth $10 in a couple of years.

Your best strategy for life-changing profits?

Buy the stock and wait. You may be waiting a while, but this is a solid company with a real product and profits, and stock appreciation should come in the next two years. Make that big-time appreciation.

Next: Biotech Stock #6

Biotech stock #5: Cerus Corp. (CERS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Curis (NASDAQ: CRIS) is a speculative stock -- no approved product and no revenue -- that, in former markets, would sell for $10 - $12. It is now around a buck and a half, after doubling in the past few months.

CRIS focuses on cancer treatments, and is partnered with Genentech/Roche. It has a new therapy for basal cell carcinoma in mid-stage trials. The results appear very promising. In fact, they are so promising that Genentech is treating this as the last trial needed before seeking FDA approval.

This stock is a potential 10- to 20-bagger with an FDA approval in 2011 or so. And the company is on the verge of licensing a new molecule that could be a big catalyst for the stock in the short term.

Your best strategy for life-changing profits?

Buy CRIS now. (In the interest of full disclosure, I own a lot of CRIS.)

Next: Biotech Stock #5

Biotech stock #4: Curis (CRIS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 12 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When my son had a huge boil under his arm, it turned out that it was filled with the killer staph, MRSA. It also turns out that my (otherwise) great doctor used a traditional lab to process the test, which took a week to determine it was MRSA.

Cepheid (NASDAQ: CPHD) manufactures the equipment and test that takes just two hours to do the same thing -- and is better and cheaper than traditional tests. CPHD wins 90%-plus of all competitive bids and its test could be available in low-tech facilities, such as doctor's offices or nursing homes, next year.

The big catalyst for this stock, however, is that Medicare will stop paying for all hospital-acquired infections except MRSA in October. So institutions need a quick test if they are going to be reimbursed for treatment.

The stock has fallen from $30 to under $9. It's worth $20 - $22 to an acquirer.

Your best strategy for life-changing profits?

Buy the call options.

Next: Biotech Stock #4

Continue reading Biotech stock #3: Cepheid (CPHD)

Biotech stock #3: Cepheid (CPHD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Imagine a company with 90%-plus margins and huge cashflow that uses its cash to carefully expand its business and buy back stock -- with a P/E under 8! That's Questcor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: QCOR).

QCOR has a treatment that is approved for spasms from multiple sclerosis, but is mostly used to treat radical infantile spasms that kill or retard babies.

Your best strategy for life-changing profits?

Buy the stock and wait for it to appreciate or for the company to get bought out. You could also buy the (illiquid) options, or buy the stock and sell the calls.

Next: Biotech Stock #3

Biotech stock #2: Questcor Pharmaceuticals (QCOR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Few would argue with the claim that Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) is the best-managed biopharma company on the planet.

It dominates the HIV treatment market and gets a 19%-plus royalty on Tamiflu, which is used to treat H1N1 (swine) flue. Gilead also has several drugs on or headed for the market to treat pulmonary disease and hard-to-treat high blood pressure.

Your best strategy for life-changing profits?

Buy the stock and sell the calls (then use the cash to buy puts on the market, which is headed down further.) Or buy long-term calls and keep an eye on them.

Next: Biotech Stock #2

Biotech stock #1: Gilead Sciences (GILD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last year, as the market sank, one group actually went up -- large-cap, cashflow positive biotech and genomics companies.

Here are six biotech stocks with the potential to deliver life-changing profits:

Biotech Stock #1: Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD)
Biotech Stock #2: Questcor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: QCOR)

Six bang-for-your-buck biotech stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Since I wrote the introductory piece for the next 25 stocks for the NEXT 25 years, I have received some pretty interesting emails from you -- the readers. It seems many of you would like to participate in this exercise. I would love to have you join in. No one has the market cornered on good (or great) ideas. Please send in your thoughts and stock suggestions for the ultimate list.

I should tell you I have my 25 stock ideas for the NEXT 25 years researched and ready to reveal. However, six of them are barely hanging on the list ... I am still having trouble becoming convinced. I like the companies, but remember, these have to be very special. The remaining 19? I've arrived at reasonable certainty these have a chance to be big, relevant game-changers over the next couple of decades. Doesn't mean there aren't better ideas from you the readers...even the sacred 19 are vulnerable!!

The power of an idea is a remarkable phenomenon to watch and absorb. Think back for a moment ... go back only 15 years, to 1992. How many incredible companies either did not exist or were just a twinkle in the eye of some venture capital firm? These are companies that are now part of our everyday lives and have become part of our shared vocabulary. "Google" was something toddlers did to the aaawh of parents and grandparents; now grandpa's is saying "leave me alone, I am Googling for lyrics to that Barry Manilow song -- and did anybody see my iPod?"

Continue reading Top 25 stocks for the NEXT 25 years: The power of an idea

Top 25 stocks for the NEXT 25 years: The power of an idea originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 May 2007 23:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Each year, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Stocks Report.

Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) is the top conservative pick for 2007 from Roger Conrad. The editor of The Utility Forecaster says, "The company continues to excel in all areas, except the stock market. Verizon Wireless remains the best network in cellular, and continues to prove it every quarter with rising margins, higher sales, and very low customer cancellation rates.

"Now the company is reporting expectation-beating progress with its construction of the nation's best wireline network, which will run fiber optic cable to more than 20 million homes and businesses within the next five years. The price tag is not inconsequential at $18 billion. But the company has been able to finance it with cash flow, even while reducing debt.

"Critics continue to focus on the loss of local copper phone connections at the company to wireless and cable television rivals. That's like faulting a Super Bowl champion because its punter doesn't see enough action. Buy VZ, which yields a little less than 5%, up to 38."

To see Roger's favorite speculative idea for 2007, click here.

Top Picks 2007: Roger Conrad calls up Verizon originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 30 Dec 2006 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.