It never ceases to amaze me. Each January, my staff and
I breath a collective sigh of relief with the start of each
new year. It's not because we're glad the holidays are over, but
rather because it means that the exhaustive research we put into
our annual Top 10 issue for my
Market Advisor
newsletter is finally over.
You see, my staff and I put in countless hours,
starting months in advance to ensure that the annual Top
10 issue has only the absolute best picks that we think will
pummel the market in the coming year.
After all, we've got a lot to live up to. StreetAuthority
co-founder Paul Tracy started this tradition for
Market Advisor
back in December 2002. Incidentally, that inaugural list of
recommendations went on to deliver an impressive return of 38.4% in
the next 12 months. And every December since, my team and
I have presented readers with a fresh batch of our best and
brightest ideas for the year ahead.
Aside from the crash of 2008, these picks have outpaced
thebenchmark S&P 500 every single year -- and by no smallmargin
.
For those of you keeping score,
Market Advisor's
annual "Top-10 Stocks" have posted a cumulative return of 99%,
easily besting the 45% return of the overall market.
Along the way, we have dug up some real gems for readers. In 2009,
we flagged
Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacific (NYSE:
PAC
)
, which went on to gain
45.8%
. Last year's list included
Skyworks Solutions (Nasdaq:
SWKS
)
, which is currently up more than
83%
.
And those stellar performers were far from being the only
winners of the bunch.
With all this in mind, my readers have been clammoring to know
what I've got in store for 2011. And if you're not one of
my subscribers, well, you're in luck. Last year, I decided to
share the name
of one finalist with the public. That pick,
Silver Wheaton (NYSE:
SLW
)
, has soared
139%
since January 1.
I'm expecting even bigger things out of one of my top picks
for this year, a small company called
Augme Technologies (
AUGT
)
. Simply put, I think it could be one of Market Advisor's best
picks ever.
Here's why...
Google has built a $200 billion empire on the back of online
advertising. But consider this: nobody hauls their PC around to the
bank or the supermarket. By contrast, we are inseparable from our
mobile phones -- so demand to reach consumers through wireless
devices could be just as explosive.
There's an avalanche of cash plowing into this sector -- and Augme
is right in its path. The company has developed innovative
marketing platforms and video content delivery systems that
"connect brands to consumers" across all wireless networks.
The firm is revolutionizing ways for businesses to communicate and
interact with potential customers. For example, pasta maker
Delverde is using Augme's platform in a clever way that lets
shoppers at certain grocery stores scan a barcode or text a keyword
to unlock fine Italian recipes and wine pairings.
These digital, point-of-sale marketing strategies are highly
targeted and reach responsive customers -- attributes for which
advertisers are usually willing to pay a premium. Augme has a
first-mover advantage protected by valuable patents and its growing
customer base includes deep-pocketed clients like HBO,
Ralph Lauren (NYSE:
RL
)
,
Colgate Palmolive (NYSE:
CL
)
and
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:
JNJ
)
.
At this point, the company is still in the nascent growth stage.
Last quarter, it generated just $718,717 in revenue -- about what
Google probably spent on postage. But that small size can be an
asset...
Investors love double-digit growth and salivate over triple-digits.
But almost never do you see quadruple-digit growth. Yet, the
revenue I just mentioned represented a jaw-dropping
1,700% increase
compared with the same quarter last year.
It's pretty easy to move the needle when you're raking in less than
$1 million per quarter and you're at the vanguard of a briskly
growing niche. From nothing a few years ago, mobile advertising is
projected to be a $5 billion market by 2012.
Action to Take -->
Right now, Augme already has $20 million in signed bookings and
commitments in the sales pipeline. Even if just half of that is
converted, the company could still take in $10 million in the next
year. That type of potential makes it much easier to swallow the
dilution
that comes with a young company issuing stock to raise capital (the
share base has swelled from 13 million to 56 million in the past
four years).
The stock is best suited for aggressive investors willing to
shoulder some volatility. But the rewards could be huge -- Augme
has "multi-bagger" written all over it.
[
Note:
While I think Agume may turn out to be one of our best picks ever,
it's just the beginning of what my
Market Advisor
newsletter has in store for 2011. A leading "green
agriculture" firm in China... a way toprofit from my "shocking"
predicion for a jobs recovery... a "dirt-cheap" blue chip that
could deliver 40% gains
and
pay a generousdividend to boot -- these are just a few of the picks
I've singeld out for 2011. If you'd like to find out more about my
picks for 2011, please
read this memo
.]
-- Nathan Slaughter
Disclosure: Neither Nathan Slaughter nor StreetAuthority, LLC
hold positions in any securities mentioned in this article.