It’s now easier than ever to decide what actions to take on the stocks you currently hold, or positions you are thinking of starting based on the recommendations on PeakStocks.com.

It can be daunting deciding where to start, which stocks you should invest in right now, what price is considered a “fair” price, etc.

What if you could only buy one stock, which stock do I feel is the best place to put your money right now?

To answer all these questions, I have created a widget on the left-hand side of every page titled: “PeakStocks.com Portfolio Recommendations”.

If you are new to the site, or haven’t visited in awhile, I created this recommendation widget so you can quickly see which stocks I am currently recommending to buy, sell, or hold.

First Some Quick Notes

• Buy and Sell recommendations are ranked in order of urgency. See further explanation below.
• Stocks, “Buy Around” prices and urgency rankings are updated whenever appropriate. I will designate my last update with a date marker at the bottom of the list.
• Each stock on the “Buy Now” list has a corresponding Risk Rating that will allow you to quickly gauge what I feel is the risk of that stock, as determined by various criteria, on a scale of 1-10.
• The “Buy Around” price is a guide to a good entry point or exit point (in the case of names on the Sell Now list), but not set in stone. Read more about the Buy Around price by clicking here.
• Links: Clicking on the appropriate ticker symbol will take you to the company research report, or my latest post on that company explaining my rationale for buying, holding or selling that particular stock.

Below I’ll go over each designation (Buy, Sell, Hold) in more detail.

Buy Now

This one is rather self-explanatory.

Any stocks that are listed underneath the GREEN “Buy Now” header are stocks that I think you should put new money in RIGHT NOW!

A few important points to note about these recommendations:

• The recommendations are ranked in order of urgency: What this basically means is that all things considered - the current stock price, market conditions, company news/execution, upcoming catalysts, risk/reward scenario, etc. - these stocks should be looked at for new money before any others, and especially the ones ranked higher on the list.

Now that isn’t to say that a stock ranked #3 is not nearly as good of a buy as the stock ranked #1 in this list, the differences could be very slight and change quickly, it’s merely telling you that I feel that based on all my research and diligence on these stocks, the ones ranked higher present a slightly better risk/reward proposition than the ones lower in the list based on all my investment criteria.

• More than likely, stocks higher on the list have been beaten down: Obviously, if a stock has risen significantly in value, and no longer is a good place for new money, it’s probably not going to be on this list.

So, be prepared that in most cases, the stocks under the “Buy Now” header are likely to be names that have fallen significantly and give us a chance to get in at really low prices.

There will be exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, we’ll be looking to snag positions in stocks where the valuations favor us going forward, and this means buying on dips, in bad times, and when some of the companies on this list are out of favor.

• Helpful Links:
  • Read more about the potential risks associated with investing in the types of stocks that I typically recommend.
  • Read more about how I mitigate those risks and increase our risk/reward scenario to maximize our profit potential.

Hold

Any stocks that are listed underneath the YELLOW “Hold” header are stocks that I think you should keep in your portfolio if you already have them, but not put new money in at the present time.

A few important points to note about these recommendations:

• The reasons for holding current positions are numerous: These can include: the current stock price has risen quickly, the valuation is getting “fair” and doesn’t present us with a good risk/reward scenario for new money, the company has experienced some short term problems that I want to see resolved, market conditions, lack of catalysts, etc. See my most recent posts about a certain company to get a detailed explanation as to my rationale for holding that particular position.
• Stocks in this list are not ranked in any particular order: Since no action is being recommended with the stocks on this list, they are therefore not ranked in any particular order.
• Check back frequently for updates: The status of companies on this list can change quickly. If there are any changes to this list I’ll more than likely write about that change in a new post. Make sure you don’t miss out on those updates by checking in often or subscribing to my RSS feed, or email alerts.

Sell Now

Any stocks that are listed underneath the RED “Sell Now” header are stocks that I think you should sell immediately not matter what. If you hang on to these stocks, it’s at your own risk.

A few important points to note about these recommendations:

• Sell Now! I do not put stocks on this list lightly. My whole philosophy is to find undervalued or underfollowed companies and wait till the market catches up to their “fair” value over time. If I put a stock out to pasture, you can believe it’s because I’ve uncovered some stuff that leads me to believe our money can be invested elsewhere for better returns.
• The recommendations are ranked in order of urgency: Needless to say, every stock on this list, and I hope not to ever have too many of them, should be sold immediately. That being said, I will rank them from highest to lowest urgency but make no mistake, my intent is to get you to sell these names immediately.
• Some possible reasons for selling a stock: This can run the gamut from deteriorating fundamentals or business trends, to changes in the overall market, sector, risk/reward scenario, management changes, etc. See my most recent posts about a certain company to get a detailed explanation as to my rationale for selling that particular position.
• Check back frequently for updates: If there are any changes to this list I’ll more than likely write about that change in a new post. Make sure you don’t miss out on those updates by checking in often or subscribing to my RSS feed, or email alerts.

Bottom Line

I hope that adding the list of portfolio recommendations helps to make your investment decisions easier and more timely, and also allows you a place where you can come and get ideas for new money to be invested anytime you want.

As long as you follow my rationale and criteria for why I am buying, selling or holding a position, the ultimate decision is up to you.

I will provide you with all pertinent details and information as to why I have these names on that list, and allow you to make up your own mind whether that decision or stock is right for you.