The market went down this month, and as sometimes happens, Plan 5 amplified that effect. While Plan 5 monthly lost quite a bit over the past month, Plan 5 Quarterly saw a big gain over the 3-month period that’s just ended. It only kept half of the gains it was showing a month ago, however. Let’s look at the results, starting with how Plan 5 Monthly performed in January:
Plan 5 Monthly: January 2015 Results
| Jan 2 Open | Jan 30 Close | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple (AAPL) | 111.39 | 117.16 | +5.18% |
| BJ’s Restaurants (BJRI) | 50.61 | 44.29 | -12.49% |
| CarMax (KMX) | 67.04 | 62.10 | -7.37% |
| Robert Half International (RHI) | 58.95 | 58.06 | -1.51% |
| Sierra Wireless (SWIR) | 47.30 | 36.11 | -23.66% |
| Plan 5 Monthly: January 2015 | -7.97% | ||
| S&P 500 | 2058.90 | 1994.99 | -3.1% |
Four out of five picks fell last month, with Sierra Wireless leading the charge by losing almost one quarter of its value. Apple was the lone bright light, with its 5.18% gain.
There are three substitutions this month. We’re replacing Apple, CarMax and Robert Half International with Ulta Salon, Under Armour and WisdomTree Investments. Here are the latest picks:
Plan 5 Monthly: February 2015 Picks
| Company | Symbol |
|---|---|
| BJ’s Restaurants | BJRI |
| Sierra Wireless | SWIR |
| Ulta Salon | ULTA |
| Under Armour | UA |
| WisdomTree Investments | WETF |
If you’re following along with Plan 5 Monthly, it’s time to rebalance your portfolio. An easy way to do that is to use the online Balance Calculator. If you’re new to Plan 5 or would like to read more about rebalancing a Plan 5 portfolio, check out this comprehensive guide to the process.
If you’re following Plan 5 Quarterly, it will also be time to rebalance your portfolio this month. But first let’s take a look at how Plan 5 Quarterly has performed with its last set of picks over the past three months.
Plan 5 Quarterly: November 2014 – January 2015 Results
| Nov 3 Open | Jan 30 Close | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple (AAPL) | 108.22 | 117.16 | +8.26% |
| BJ’s Restaurants (BJRI) | 44.20 | 44.29 | +0.2% |
| Gilead Sciences (GILD) | 112.31 | 104.83 | -6.66% |
| Sierra Wireless (SWIR) | 27.50 | 36.11 | +31.31% |
| Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance (ULTA) | 121.44 | 131.94 | +8.65% |
| Plan 5 Quarterly: November 2014 – January 2015 | +8.35% | ||
| S&P 500 | 2018.21 | 1994.99 | -1.15% |
Four out of five of November’s picks rose over the past quarter. Sierra Wireless showed the most impressive gains, though it looked a lot better before dropping over the past month. Still, an 8.35% gain over 3 months isn’t bad at all, and a big improvement over the S&P 500’s 1.15% loss over the same period.
Here’s the new set of Plan 5 Quarterly picks:
Plan 5 Quarterly: August 2014 Picks
| Company | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Boston Beer Co. | SAM |
| Sierra Wireless | SWIR |
| Ulta Salon | ULTA |
| WisdomTree Investments | WETF |
| XPO Logistics | XPO |
Only Sierra Wireless and Ulta Salon carry over from last quarter.
Again, followers of Plan 5 Quarterly will want to rebalance your portfolios. The online Balance Calculator and the step-by-step guide are useful resources for helping with this.
Finally, here’s a look at overall Plan 5 performance so far, since its inception:
It’s been a bumpy ride, and I don’t expect it to let up. Take it as an exercise in improving our minds’ suspension systems!
That’s all for this month. I’ll be back at the end of February with the latest picks. Until then…
Thrive!
Mike Ferrier