Briefly Noted

Features
Rodney Dangerfield Investing: Closed-End Opportunities
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are relative newcomers compared to closed-end funds, yet ETFs are mushrooming in popularity and press coverage. Like Rodney Dangerfield, closed-end funds still don't get the respect they deserve. But "no respect" can translate into opportunities.

First Cut
The First Cut: Low Price-to-Book Firms
A starting point for investors. This issue’s focus is on non-financial, exchange-listed stocks with price-to-book-value ratios among the lowest 10% of all stocks.

Stock Strategies
The Secrets of Picking Great Growth Stocks
Investing is simply common sense, along with a focus on the key factors that drive the greatest stocks. A look at the four factors that seem to be common, identifying traits of the greatest companies and stocks.

Offbeat Offerings
Offbeat Offerings: Preferred Stock
An investor reference for products that are not your typical offerings. This issue's focus is on preferred stock.

Stock Screens
Dow Dogs Make Their Mark With Pure Mechanical Approach
The Dow Dogs methodology emphasizes out-of-favor Dow stocks that are possibly underpriced relative to others, as indicated by high dividend yields. It is a mechanical approach that forces strict discipline, and requires no investment decision-making expertise--a highly appealing strategy to many individual investors, particularly market neophytes.

AAII Model Portfolios
Model Shadow Stock Portfolio Survives Market Volatility
The Shadow Stock Portfolio is doing better than the market in what is either a resumption of the long-term uptrend or a short-term respite from a lengthier downtrend. Although the market trend will soon be clear, for buy-and-holders it doesn't make much difference.

Mutual Funds
Mutual Fund Marathon: The Top Funds Over Five Years: 2002-2006
Mutual funds are judged by their track records, and for long-term investors it is the five-year marathon that is key. Who were the top performers, and what allowed them to survive the marathon run and come out on top? A look at the winners--and how they did it.

Departments
Briefly Noted
Current news items of interest to individual investors.

Departments
Letters to the Editor
Member questions and comments on recent AAII Journal articles.