Palos Verdes’ Stuart Chaussee’s top 5 stocks for 2013
Last year at this time I was constructive on the market, despite many headwinds and the ongoing turmoil in Europe. Valuations and dividends were fairly attractive and they still are. Despite the volatility, the market ended 2012, having posted yet another positive year since the market began this current bull run, which started in March 2009. For 2012, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up approximately 7 percent, plus dividends, and the S&P 500 posted a much stronger 16 percent return. Last year’s California Top 5 (Granite Construction, Charles Schwab, Chevron, Mercury General and Mattel) returned an average of 17 percent plus dividends. It was an excellent year for most investors. My outlook for 2013 is similar to last year, but with fewer obstacles in sight, the market should hopefully be driven by improved earnings (rather than headlines) and an ongoing steady, albeit slow, economic recovery. Housing is looking decent again and despite having rallied over 100 percent since the collapse in 2008-’09, stocks are still reasonably priced thanks to earnings growth. While I don’t expect double-digit returns this year, it wouldn’t surprise me to see global stocks, including our…
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