At my real job, a group of us have a yearly stock picking contest. Some years I have performed well, others have been terrible (last year my total performance for my picks was a miserable -13%.) The winner of 2004 was up over 50%. Her method, spread out the newspaper, take 3 M&M candies and throw them up in the air. She picked the 3 stocks the candies landed on. The rules of our little contest are simple. Pick three stocks that trade for over $5. We buy at the close on the first trading day of the year (yesterday) and sell at the close on the last trading day of the year. We then average the performance of the 3 stock picks and don’t count dividends. This year I decided to pick only AltE stocks and here are my picks for 2005. Mechanical Technology Inc (MKTY) is primarily engaged in the development and commercialization of direct methanol micro fuel cells (DMFCs) through its subsidiary, MTI MicroFuel Cells Inc. (MTI Micro) and in the design, manufacture and sale of high-performance test and measurement instruments and systems through its subsidiary, MTI Instruments, Inc. MTI also co-founded and retains an interest in Plug Power Inc., a designer and developer of onsite energy systems based on proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Syntroleum Corp (SYNM) is engaged in the research and development of the syntroleum process, a process designed to convert natural gas or synthesis gas into synthetic liquid hydrocarbons, and activities related to commercialization of the syntroleum process. Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) is engaged in the development and commercialization of carbonate fuel cell technology for stationary power generation. As in years past I purchased shares in each of these stocks (I already own FCEL and bought more.)
