The Stock List Beating The S&P By +11% This Year
Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance
“Buy the ticket, take the ride” — Hunter S. Thompson
Seven months into 2026, I’m happy with where my 26 Stocks For 2026 watchlist stands. Some views have evolved and others have stayed the same. I wanted to publish a semi-comprehensive note on what I think about all the names and sectors included in the list heading into the second half of 2026.
We’re a little more than halfway through 2026, and after one of the more volatile first halves in recent memory, the list is holding up well. On an average equal-weighted basis, the list is up an estimated 24.0%, comfortably ahead of the S&P 500’s 12.8% gain by +11.2%.
Twenty-six names were never meant to be a concentrated portfolio. They were ideas that, when combined together, I believed had attractive long-term risk/reward based on valuations, macro trends, and areas where I thought Wall Street was either too pessimistic or simply looking in the wrong place.
Some ideas have worked spectacularly. Others have been disappointments. More importantly, a few of my views have evolved. Here’s a recap heading into the second half of 2026.
One of the biggest winners has been Intel, which has surged nearly 174% this year. Ironically, I don’t think my original thesis has changed much. The market simply caught up to it much faster than I expected. It was all right here back in September of last year while Intel traded close to $30: Intel Reminds Me Of Apple In 1997
Back when sentiment was universally negative, I argued that Washington simply wasn’t going to let America’s largest domestic chip manufacturer disappear. Government support, national security concerns and the push to rebuild semiconductor manufacturing in the United States would eventually change the narrative. That’s largely happened.
I still think Intel has a meaningful role to play over the next decade. But after nearly tripling, I also think the stock has earned the right to take a breather. Much of the easy upside from this year’s rerating appears behind us, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the stock spends the rest of 2026 digesting gains while the fundamentals catch up.
Now, on to the other 25 names on the list...(READ THIS FULL ARTICLE HERE).