Midyear Update: Stock Winners, Losers & What's Next
Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance
Heading into Friday morning, the blog’s 26 Stocks To Watch for 2026 were up +24% and beating the S&P by an estimated +11.2% on an average, equal weighted basis.
This comes after the blog’s 25 Stocks To Watch For 2025 absolutely smashed the S&P 500, beating the index by more than +50% last year.
This week I released a comprehensive writeup of most of these 26 names, including my feelings on where we stand on them heading into the second half of the year:
2026 Midyear Update: Winners, Losers & What's Next
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Over the last month I’ve also released several market-related lists:
The small caps we’ve pointed out this year have had some success. On Thursday, one of three microcap stocks I pointed out back in March smashed its earnings report and is now up more than 100% from when I pointed it out. Another on this list is up more than +50% from its price in March.
Of course, I never like to talk about winners without also talking about names that underperformed. Every analyst on Earth has missed calls and I am no different. One name on the above list is down about 8% from when I wrote about it and a recent speculative “high risk” name I pointed out last month is down more than 20% from where I initially wrote about it.
And despite my 26 Stocks for 2026 list outperforming, there are individual names on the list that have vastly underperformed the S&P 500 as well. As a group, however, the names have collectively done well on average.
This week I wrote about why high yielding products are mostly bullshit:
If It Pays More, Ask Why
I took exception to this dork blaming short sellers for blowing up his fund on leverage in the middle of a pornographic stock bubble:
Leopold Aschenbrenner’s Short Seller Fairy Tale
I also pointed out the insane market structure that could be driving meltups in the market right now — and a hint, it’s not reasoned, conservative, traditional stock buying if you ask me…
Four Million Call Options Later, People Still Think This Is a Normal Market
I also wrote about how Strategy is drifting from “occasional” bitcoin seller to simply bitcoin seller, period.
Michael Seller
Here’s what else is new on the blog:
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