FrançaisThe 20 best stocks of 2019 according to reliable analysts
These stocks were not cherry-picked in hindsight: they are the ones the method would have selected using only info known by end of 2018 (price targets from reliable analysts in the prior ~90 days), then held unchanged for 12 months. A true point-in-time record.
🎯 JPI Fair +31% · vs S&P 500 +29% · +2.3 pts
| # | Stock | 12-month return |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TGT Target Corporation | +94% |
| 2 | AMAT Applied Materials | +86% |
| 3 | NVDA Nvidia | +76% |
| 4 | WDC Western Digital | +72% |
| 5 | AMP Ameriprise Financial | +60% |
| 6 | AKAM Akamai Technologies | +41% |
| 7 | WY Weyerhaeuser | +38% |
| 8 | KMI Kinder Morgan | +38% |
| 9 | EA Electronic Arts | +36% |
| 10 | ALGN Align Technology | +33% |
| 11 | PSX Phillips 66 | +29% |
| 12 | VLO Valero Energy | +25% |
| 13 | NFLX Netflix | +21% |
| 14 | BKR Baker Hughes | +19% |
| 15 | STZ Constellation Brands | +18% |
| 16 | GM General Motors | +9% |
| 17 | WMB Williams Companies | +8% |
| 18 | HAL Halliburton | -8% |
| 19 | TPR Tapestry, Inc. | -20% |
| 20 | PCG PG&E Corporation | -54% |
⚡ JPI Risk + +38% · vs S&P 500 +29% · +9.4 pts
| # | Stock | 12-month return |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMAT Applied Materials | +86% |
| 2 | AAPL Apple Inc. | +86% |
| 3 | NVDA Nvidia | +76% |
| 4 | WDC Western Digital | +72% |
| 5 | URI United Rentals | +63% |
| 6 | CAG Conagra Brands | +60% |
| 7 | AMP Ameriprise Financial | +60% |
| 8 | LEN Lennar | +42% |
| 9 | AKAM Akamai Technologies | +41% |
| 10 | EA Electronic Arts | +36% |
| 11 | COF Capital One | +36% |
| 12 | EBAY eBay Inc. | +29% |
| 13 | VLO Valero Energy | +25% |
| 14 | NFLX Netflix | +21% |
| 15 | BKR Baker Hughes | +19% |
| 16 | STZ Constellation Brands | +18% |
| 17 | SLB Schlumberger | +11% |
| 18 | GM General Motors | +9% |
| 19 | HAL Halliburton | -8% |
| 20 | TPR Tapestry, Inc. | -20% |
What if you'd kept following the method in 2020?
| Year | JPI Fair | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +31% | +29% |
| 2020 | +10% | +16% |
| 2-year cumulative (if you kept going) | +45% | +50% |
💡 The takeaway — you have to accept the average or down years and stay in the method (sell, rebuy the newly recommended names). Whoever panics after a bad year misses the rebound. Discipline > emotion.
📊 See the full 11-year backtest → 🎯 Stocks to buy today →
FAQ
What were the best stocks to buy in 2019?
Per the JPI Fair method (targets from the ≥2 most reliable analysts per sector), the 20 S&P 500 stocks selected in early 2019 returned +31.1% on average over 12 months, vs 28.8% for the index. The best was TGT (Target Corporation) at +94%. See the full list above.
How were these 2019 stocks chosen?
With no hindsight: only from information known by end of 2018 (price targets from analysts with a real reliability track record on their sector), then held 12 months. A point-in-time backtest, not a hindsight pick.
Does this method actually work?
Over 11 years (2015-2025), the JPI Fair method returned +26%/yr vs +12.6% for the S&P 500 — double the market. But it's lumpy (drawdowns in 2018 and 2022) and risk-adjusted the edge is thinner. A quality signal, not a guarantee.
What is JPI Invest?
JPI Invest aggregates analyst recommendations across the entire S&P 500 (plus the S&P MidCap 400), replays them against real prices and measures who predicts best — on results, not reputation. Instead of taking a price target at face value, you see each analyst's track record on each stock.
- 🏆 Analyst leaderboard by real reliability (beating their sector, not just riding the rally)
- 🎯 What to buy: 3 backtested methods over 6 years, from cautious to aggressive
- 💬 AI assistant: ask anything about any stock, with the numbers
- 📊 Portfolio tracking + 🔔 price alerts by email
⚠️ Educational analysis, not investment advice. Point-in-time backtest on recomputed Yahoo data, universe = stocks still in the index (survivorship bias). Past performance does not predict the future.