Last summer I reported on my Uncle Greg’s first foray into investing with TradeKing, and I promised a little follow-up on his progress. Well, I’m happy to say: Uncle Greg’s picks are doing pretty darn well.

His two big winners are Smucker’s (SJM), which he bought last winter at an average cost basis of 49.42; as of this writing, it’s at 52.54. He’s also doing well on his shares of Coca-Cola (KO), which he bought 49.99; they’re now at 59.09 on strong 3Q earnings results. His reasoning for buying both of these stocks was his appreciation for two classics: they’re both tops in their category, in his view, so naturally he gravitated to that quality. (I can’t resist the chance to quote his line on Smucker’s: “Everybody likes jelly.”)

Unfortunately, not all Uncle Greg’s picks are turning a profit yet. His shares of JetBlue (JBLU) are hurting after their service snafu last spring as well as hikes in oil prices hurting the whole airline industry. He bought JBLU at 14.65, and now it’s at 9.25. Similarly, his shares of Harley-Davidson (HOG) are down: he bought at 70.78, and it’s now trading at 49.33. I think he’s a HOG supporter for the long-term, though, so short-term dips aren’t likely to change his view. He knows from personal experience that Harley-Davidson makes a killer product – another buy-the-classics play.

Nice work, Uncle Greg! More than most people I know, Greg really knows how to take the market’s ups and downs in stride. “It’s only money,” he says. Right on, sir! Sometimes a little levity can take you further than you think in this game.

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Any strategies discussed or securities mentioned, are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes only and are not to be construed as an endorsement, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell securities. 

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