INVESTools: U.S. Investment Report Background Page -
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Published on: 1/13/2001
Last Visited: 1/13/2001
Directed by Stephen Quickel, USIR's in-house research is supplemented by company contacts and interviews with competitors, securities analysts and industry consultants.Mr. Quickel has managed USIR's stockpicking and portfolio strategy during the newsletter's entire ten years of publication.Prior to starting USIR, he was a longtime Senior Editor of Forbes, Managing Editor of Institutional Investor and Editor of Financial World.He holds an MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College.
Quite simply, USIR's track record is extraordinary.Starting with a portfolio valued at $ 100, 000 in January 1987, USIR's Growth Leaders Portfolio was valued at $ 9, 961, 465 as of February 1998.For the same time period, USIR's Conservative Growth Portfolio grew from $ 100, 000 to $ 2, 300, 175.The newest portfolio, inaugurated on July 1, 1995, has grown from an initial $ 100, 000 investment to $ 3, 257, 778 in February 1998.
USIR has achieved returns like this with a remarkably simple and disciplined strategy : Concentration in a small, highly select universe of 10 to 15 market share leaders in established double digit growth industries.
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Investors can follow Mr. Quickel's proven methodology for producing superior long-term results with a subscription to the USIR, or with current and back issues of the newsletter (see below).
The Principles Behind the USIR Approach
Wise investment managers avoid slavish adherence to a single strategy in all markets.At times, the USIR portfolios best gains have not come from growth stocks, but from rallies in financial stocks, cyclical issues and asset plays.Yet the same basic approach guided Steve Quickel's portfolio decisions in those market sectors as well-namely, the concentration on a limited universe of dominant industry competitors capable of generating extra-strong earnings gains.The following is a recap of the principles that guide USIR in its growth-concentrated approach to portfolio management :.
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Mr. Quickel assembled this network and has expanded its technology focus since founding USIR.Thus the USIR Portfolios and Recommended List have drawn upon journalistic skills at spotting trends and overlooked opportunities as well as stockpicking and portfolio management skills.
Stock Universe.The USIR Recommended List of over 100 stocks is the chief source of holdings in the USIR Growth Portfolios.Dozens of new stocks are screened out each month to ferret out fresh portfolio prospects.The best are added to the Portfolios as market opportunities arise, with all purchases announced to subscribers in advance so they can emulate USIRs moves.