Zeev's Turnips Patch-No Politics (ZEEV)

[marketmaven]

Off to an optimistic start
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/StrategyLab/Rnd15/StratLabSummary.aspx

The new year is young and the new round of Strategy Lab even younger, but our newest traders are diving in with optimism.

"As for the way the market has been acting, I think it’s been fantastic," writes Charles Payne, our new WStreet Strategist. "Stocks have climbed off the canvas every session of the year. And even though they seem to be spinning their wheels, I think a base of support is being created -- and confirmed -- for a significant move higher."

That's a good follow-up to "Value Shopper" Nancy Zambell's prediction in her first journal that 2007 holds "unlimited promise":

"For 2007, I expect the new Fed chairman's balancing act, walking a tight line and attempting to portray market neutrality, will once again find favor with investors. Also, last fall's elections inspired hope that the politicians -- at the very least -- will be forced to seek real change in Iraq, and at the very best actually forge a plan to end the hostilities," she writes. "Already, the market has shown its gratefulness for the hint of change, and if and when a real solution is found, the sky will be the limit!"

Robert Walberg, our third new player, isn't necessarily as optimistic, but doesn't have to be. His Dog Pound portfolio won't need the market, good or bad. "Nostradamus I’m not. I don’t have any idea whether the market will be higher or lower by the time this contest ends, or if GDP will be growing by 2% or 4%. Frankly, I don’t really care," he wrote in his first journal. "The companies we will investigate together, and the ones added to the Dog Pound portfolio, should be in position to rally over the next few months -- regardless of the broader market theme."

To say it another way -- in the end, it's money that matters. All-Star Team trader Ken Kam's first journal touched on this with this bit of advice: "As we start the new year, a lot of people on Wall Street are offering their advice for 2007. Here's mine: Don't take advice from people with bad track records."

Track records, of course, are part of what we consider when we line up new rounds. The recommendations in Zambell's UnTapped Opportunities newsletter have been scoring big wins on undiscovered names for years. Payne is a high-profile market commentator in part because his picks work (you can see month-by-month track records for some of his efforts at this page on his WStreet.com site).

Walberg, our Street Patrol columnist, has beaten the market pretty consistently with the picks tracked in our Expert Picks section. We're eager to see what he can do with a managed portfolio.