A Whole Lotta Genius Going Around …

… and with returns on the average stock up +28.7% over the trailing 12-months, a lot of people are pretty effective investors again. The stocks in this week’s update batch are up +44.7% (!) themselves so it’s been a pretty good year in some corners of energy and entertainment. Schlumberger (SLB) ranks among the worthy study candidates on a fairly short list after some turbo-charged performance. The stocks check in with a nearly overbought (RSI = 68) condition and that momentum can’t last forever. Current price pressure matches the overall average at +21.9% so if there was any “catching up” to be done (for this week’s update batch), it’s probably been done.

Companies of Interest

We’re not kidding about that year-over-year surge in this week’s stocks — and it’s a reminder of WHY WE DO THIS. Take a look at highlighted stocks from a year ago … all of these have delivered a smile or two since then.

I wish I could say that the stealth deterioration of fundamentals has stopped or is slowing — but I can’t.

Because it hasn’t.

We continue to see degradation of 2013 and 2014 forecasts while the rhinos teeter about doing Twitter cart wheels.

Materially Stronger: Air Products (APD), Helix Energy Solutions (HLX)

Materially Weaker: Konami (KNM), ValueClick (VCLK), Gannett (GCI)

Market Barometers

The median Value Line low total return forecast is 3.9%, down from 4.0% last week.

Events & Coming Attractions

For those of you in Chicagoland, Ken Kavula and I will be in town for a full day session on Saturday exploring sources of ideas, disruptive stuff and more:

There’s still room at the inn and we’ll do “standing room” if we have to … for more information:

http://www.manifestinvesting.com/events/134-successful-investing-how-we-do-it-november-9-2013

Best wishes and Better Investing everybody.