Bryant is a 25-year old young professional, employed in a major city in the northeast. Since joining the workforce three years ago, he contributes as much money as possible to his retirement accounts which is invested in a diverse set of index funds. An avid fan of Benjamin Graham’s “The Intelligent Investor”, he has decided to consider a few individual stocks of companies with good and stable long-term prospects as well as a great management. Explain and justify your recommendation for Bryant. If you choose to not recommend your stock, propose an alternative from the same industry.
Nicole is 52 years old, and a few months ago, she retired from her well-paying job after aggressively saving and investing her money prudently for much of her life. While she could go back to work if necessary, she prefers her financial independence. In order to maintain a steady cash-flow, her portfolio is heavily geared towards high yielding stocks, allowing her and her family to live of dividend payments for the most part. Aware of the downturn of General Electric and their dividend cut, she focuses on companies from which she expects a solid and steady dividend growth. Explain and justify your recommendation for Nicole. If you choose not to recommend your stock, propose and alternative from the same industry.
Peter is in his mid 30s. Starting late to contribute to his retirement fund, he wants to complement his investments in ETFs in his individual retirement account (IRA). For this purpose he sets aside additional $10,000 every year for the next ten years to seek out riskier, but potentially much more profitable high-growth opportunities. He is open to shorting stock for fundamental or hedging reasons, if the opportunity presents itself. After the ten years of active portfolio management, he wishes to wind down his positions to seek more stable investments. Explain and justify your recommendation for Paul. If you choose not to recommend your stock, propose and alternative from the same industry.