A Believer in O’Neil’s Stock Picks Weighs In

I have successfully and consistently made money in the stock market by using William J. O’Neil’s formula for trading stocks (“The Profiting Prophet of Playa del Rey,” by Thomas M. Kostigen, March 5). For Kostigen to buy one stock and hold it for about one month, then sell it at a loss and blame his failure on CAN SLIM is ludicrous.

He contacted me before this article was published, and I shared with him my experiences with Investor’s Business Daily and CAN SLIM from an amateur’s viewpoint and as someone who has attended O’Neil’s seminars. There are probably thousands of ordinary people like me who have used O’Neil’s recipe for success in the stock market and have done quite well, and I do not “somnolently stare at my computer all day, every day.” Nor have I found CAN SLIM “too rigorous to stick with over time,” as Kostigen insinuates is necessary. On the contrary, I appreciate having a set of sound fundamental and technical rules to help me choose stocks that improve my financial portfolio.

Barbara W. James

Los Angeles