My Stock Portfolio

For one of my final college classes this semester we were to “invest” approximately $10,000 in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc. I am graduating from American University with a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance and Accounting. I was with UBS Financial Services under a financial advisor last year. I knew before taking this course that in order to properly diversify a portfolio there needs to be at least 15 different types of stocks. I had a portfolio made entirely of socks with no bonds or mutual funds because the goal of this portfolio is for retirement and I was taught never to buy a stock that you could not let sit for at least 20 years. I think this portfolio did well in spite of the fluctuations we experienced in the stock market this spring. I also gave my opinion on the health of the stock by reading its annual chart. Below is the portfolio I put together with my personal stock choices and its performance over 3 months:

As follows for each stock: Ticker Symbol, Company Name , Number of Shares, Bought on 2/1/07, Sold on4/28/07, Value on 4/28/07, Reason for being placed in portfolio, My analysis of company's annual chart.

AAPL Apple 10 Shares 83.94 99.92 $999.20
I picked Apple because of the recent Ipod popularity. Based on its annual chart it shows very strong growth and potential.

APD Air Products & Chemicals 5 Shares 74.71 78.06 $390.3
I picked APD because it is such an unusual company and I wanted to diversify my portfolio. Based on its annual chart it shows very strong growth and potential.

BAC Bank of America 20 Shares 52.84 50.77 $1,015.40
I picked Bank of America because I currently work here. Based on its annual chart I would have to question if this is a good stock to continue holding in the portfolio.

BK The Bank of New York 20 Shares 40.17 40.81 $816.20
I picked Bank of NY Company because I’ve talked with them about a portfolio problem when I worked for UBS. My supervisor once gave me a 5 minute speech on the virtues of this bank and its stock – it made a distinct impression on me and I decided that day to invest in Bank of NY in the future. Based on its annual chart it shows very strong growth and potential.

C Citigroup 5 Shares 54.73 53.37 $266.85
I picked Citigroup because it is Bank of America’s competitor. Based on its annual chart I would have to question if this is a good stock to continue holding in the portfolio.

CL Colgate-Palmolive Co 5 Shares 68.11 67.04 $335.20
I picked Colgate because it is a household name in daily goods such as toothpaste and soap. Based on its annual chart it shows very strong growth and potential.

CSCO Cisco 5 Shares 26.59 27.03 $135.15
I picked Cisco because it is a technology company and I wanted to diversify my portfolio. Based on its annual chart it shows very strong growth and potential.

DD DuPont 20 Shares 50.58 49.69 $993.80
I picked DuPont because it is a classic company specializing in chemicals used daily in American and international households. Based on its annual chart it shows very strong growth and potential.

FDX Fed Ex Corporation 2 Shares 111.89 107.22 $214.44
I picked Fed Ex Corp because it is a household name in package delivery. Based on its annual chart I would have to question if this is a good stock to continue holding in the portfolio.

GS Goldman Sachs Group 10 Shares 212 224.28 $2,242.80
I picked Goldman Sachs because it is a top company in the investment banking world. Based on its annual chart it shows very strong growth and potential. I also heard that the CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, is an AU alumni - is this true?

HPT Hospitality Properties Trust 5 Shares 46.97 46.04 $230.20
I picked HPT because it is a REIT specializing in hotels and travel centers and I wanted to diversify my portfolio. Based on its annual chart I would have to question if this is a good stock to continue holding in my portfolio.

IBM IBM 10 Shares 99 101.17 $1,011.70
I picked IBM because it's a classic household name in technology. Based on its annual chart it shows very strong growth and potential.

MER Merryll Lynch & Co Inc. 5 Shares 94.78 90.11 $450.55
I picked Merryll Lynch because it is an investment company with a solid history. Based on its annual chart it shows very strong growth and potential.

WYE Wyeth 5 Shares 50.62 55.45 $277.25
I picked WYE because it is a medical company and I wanted to diversify my portfolio. Based on its annual chart it shows very strong growth and potential.

Which stocks would you choose for your portfolio?