Instead of downing a brewski, how about a little "blogski" :)?

As I like to do on weekends on the blog, is to review past stock "picks". These are the lists of picks throughout this website that I have decided fit my approach for "investable" stock market ideas. Alongside this, I have a real "trading portfolio", consisting of a maximum of 25 positions chosen from among the many "picks" I have discussed on this website. This weekend discussion is devoted to the "picks", the prior discussion was about a stock in the trading portfolio, which this week was Coach (COH).

If you would like to review the many stock picks that I have discussed on this website, you will locate them scanning through the dates along the left side of the main website. Also, to see if I have discussed a stock, simply enter the stock symbol alongside with words "Stock Picks Bob's" in the Google search engine. Usually works!

Now back to the review!

On July 27, 2004, I posted L-3 Comms Hldgs (LLL) on Stock Picks at a price of $59.24/share. L-3 closed at $79.07 on 9/30/05 for a gain of $19.83 or 33.5% since posting.

On July 26, 2005, L-3 reported 2nd quarter 2005 results. For the quarter ended June 30, 2005, sales grew 23.5% to $2.08 billion, from $1.68 billion for the same quarter last year. Net income climbed 35.5% to $119.4 million compared with net income of $88.1 million for the same quarter in the prior year. Diluted EPS grew by 26.9% to $.99/share vs. $.78/share last year. A solid quarter.

On July 28, 2004, I posted National Instruments (NATI) on Stock Picks at a price of $27.89. NATI closed at $24.64 on 9/30/05 for a loss of $(3.25) or (11.7)%.

On July 26, 2005, NATI reported 2nd quarter 2005 results. Revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2005, came in at $141 million, an 11% increase over the same quarter last year. Net income came in at $15.0 million, up from $11.4 million last year or $.19/diluted share, up from $.14/diluted share last year.

On July 29, 2004, I posted Flowserve (FLS) on Stock Picks at $23.90. FLS closed on 9/30/05 at $36.35 for a gain of $12.45 or 52.1% since posting.

As reported yesterday, FLS is in the process of restating financial results from 2000 to 2003. Since I can't do much with that information, that gets a 'thumbs down' from me :).

So how did we do with those three stocks that week in July last year? In a word, superb. Two stocks made solid gains, and one a modest loss. The average performance for the three stocks was a gain of 24.6% in a little over a year!

Please remember that these stock picks assume a buy and hold strategy. I do not own any of these three stocks and that future performance of these stocks may well be quite different than past performance!

Thanks again for stopping by! If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them on the blog or email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com. I cannot respond to all of the emails that I receive, but you can rest assured that I read them all and that I try to answer as many as possible...usually right on the blog :).

Bob