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Featured Tickers:

CTSH ,

GASS ,

GOOGL ,

PARR ,

PRI ,

WLDN

A+ Investor Grades identify stocks ranking highly on value, growth, momentum, quality and earnings estimate revisions
The Platinum 30 serves as a dynamic short list of high-potential stocks
Examining the top stocks from eight AAII strategies can help build a diversified portfolio

In a market climate shaped by geopolitical conflict, an energy supply shock and the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), individual investors are seeking a disciplined edge. The Platinum 30 offers a curated path to build a diversified and resilient factor-driven portfolio by combining the best ideas from AAII’s eight distinctive strategies.

The Platinum 30 serves as a dynamic research short list—highlighting stocks that currently meet the most compelling criteria within each of AAII’s distinct strategies. Each of the eight AAII model portfolios is derived from seminal academic research and approaches followed by some of Wall Street’s most successful investors. Combined, AAII’s Model Shadow Stock, Dividend Investing (DI), Growth Investing, VMQ Stocks and Stock Superstars Report (SSR) model portfolios offer more than 100 stocks selected and vetted using AAII’s long-standing commitment to evidence-based investing.

In addition our model portfolios, the AAII Platinum subscription also includes AAII’s research and tracking platform, the AAII Retirement Investing newsletter, and the AAII Sentiment Investing indicator dashboard and newsletter. A+ Investor features our A+ Stock Grades, a stock-grading research tool that allows you to use a systematic approach to evaluating stocks based on five investment factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. These grades mirror five of the most compelling factors used to differentiate companies and can help you build portfolios that match your investing style.

The Platinum 30 Stocks

The Platinum 30 stocks are elected from each model portfolio and further filtered by the A+ Stock Grades that encapsulate each respective portfolio’s strategies. The characteristics of each stock differ based on the criteria of each portfolio, thereby providing diversification benefits.

Due to some portfolios having a shortfall in the number of stocks qualifying for the Platinum 30, the group shown here has only 24 stocks.

AAII Model Shadow Stock Portfolio

Created by AAII founder James Cloonan and launched in 1993, the Model Shadow Stock Portfolio is one of the longest-running factor-based stock portfolios. It is based on the groundbreaking finding that the smallest and cheapest stocks offer the highest risk-adjusted return potential and seeks stocks possessing both traits.

This is a model portfolio developed for individual investors—constructed with a set of practical rules that AAII members could easily follow. Its philosophy holds that the best stocks for individual investors are not the same stocks that are best for institutions; the best returns come from giving major consideration to risk; and success comes more from concern for the overall portfolio than for individual stocks.

The Model Shadow Stock Portfolio approach has been refined over the years to adjust to new research while seeking to minimize the transaction costs of investing in micro-cap stocks that are out of reach for most institutional investors and therefore in the shadows of Wall Street.

All members can follow the Model Shadow Stock Portfolio online and in the AAII Journal. We have also incorporated the research into the AAII Platinum service. The Platinum 30 pulls in three stocks from the portfolio, first identifying those holdings that currently meet the small size, attractive valuation and profitability criteria. Then, only the holdings that exhibit the best combination of value and quality, based on the A+ Stock Grades, are selected.

StealthGas Inc. (GASS) is held in the Model Shadow Stock Portfolio and is currently a part of the Platinum 30. As of May 20, 2026, shares of the liquefied petroleum gas shipping company met the Shadow Stock approach’s qualification rules. It has a market capitalization of $372.6 million and a price-to-book-value (P/B) ratio of 0.54, and it is profitable.

AAII Dividend Investing

AAII Dividend Investing (DI) seeks attractively valued stocks with both a history of raising their dividends and the financial capacity to continue doing so. Put another way, the strategy seeks to buy, collect and grow.

Stocks of companies that either grow or initiate dividends have outperformed over the last 30 years. This is because the dividends not only add to a stock’s total return but also provide a stream of cash that can be reinvested for further growth—a win-win situation.

Stock prices are unpredictable, of course, so there is no guarantee that the total return will be positive for any specific stock held in the portfolio. But the presence of a dividend provides another component of return in an investor’s favor.

Stocks are chosen for the portfolio based on three pillars: dividend valuation, dividend growth and dividend strength. The valuation pillar favors stocks whose current dividend yield is above their five-year average. Such stocks are trading at a discount to what investors have historically been willing to accept for a yield. The growth pillar seeks out stocks with a history of raising their dividend and increasing cash flow. The strength pillar requires a company to have a reasonable payout ratio, manageable debt levels and no dividend cuts.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (CTSH) meets these requirements. The information technology services firm’s current dividend yield of 2.6% is above its five-year average high yield of 1.9%, signaling an attractive valuation. (Yields and valuations are inversely related, so a higher yield equates to a cheaper valuation.) Cognizant Technology started paying a dividend in 2017 and has raised its dividend for seven consecutive years. The company announced a 6.5% dividend increase in February 2026.

A few weeks after Cognizant Technology was added to the DI model portfolio in early May, it significantly increased its share buyback program. We view this as an affirmation of the company’s willingness to return capital to shareholders.

Cognizant Technology is one of five Dividend Investing holdings in the Platinum 30 portfolio.

AAII Growth Investing

AAII Growth Investing identifies high-quality stocks with sustainable growth potential. It seeks stocks with “sweet spot” growth—growth rates that are neither too high nor too low. The strategy is also unique in that it focuses on secular growth. Secular growth stocks possess attributes that make them likely to continue growing regardless of the economic cycle.

Growth Investing identifies companies with a history of consistent and sustainable sales growth and cash generation as well as fundamental characteristics. Such characteristics have been associated with future growth. Stocks are selected for the Growth Investing portfolio based on their A+ Growth Grade and G-Score.

The A+ Growth Grade evaluates companies based on their year-over-year sales growth, five-year annualized sales growth rate and annual cash from operations. The G-Score, which is based on research from University of Toronto accounting professor Partha Mohanram, uses an eight-point scale to analyze companies. Companies are scored based on their profitability, sales and earnings variability, and accounting conservatism.

Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) is currently held in the Growth Investing model portfolio and meets the strategy’s criteria for inclusion. The parent company of Google, Alphabet has a Growth Grade of A and a G-Score of 7. (The Growth Investing approach uses the A+ Investor Growth Grade, while the G-Score is specific to the strategy.) Alphabet has realized annualized five-year sales growth of 17.2%, continues to realize free cash flow and meets seven of the G-Score’s eight criteria—a threshold most companies do not meet.

Alphabet is one of five Growth Investing holdings in the Platinum 30 portfolio.

Stock Superstars Report

The Stock Superstars Report (SSR) strategy combines the approaches of four “superstar” investors. Those investors are currently William O’Neil (growth and momentum), David Dreman (large-cap value), James O’Shaughnessy (value- and quality-factor-based stock selection) and John Neff (growth at a reasonable price).

Each of these four gurus have beaten the market over very long time periods. These stellar records have occurred despite shorter-term periods of underperformance. Since each superstar investor hasn’t outperformed or underperformed by the same magnitude at the same time, combining them creates diversification across investing strategies.

Energy and engineering consulting firm Willdan Group Inc. (WLDN) is held in the SSR Group 1 O’Neil CAN SLIM model portfolio. The company has increased its earnings for five consecutive years, including a 71.9% year-over-year increase in its first-quarter 2026 earnings per share. Shares of Willdan Group also exhibit very strong relative strength, as evidenced by its 52-week relative strength rank of 86%. This rank shows that Willdan Group has outperformed most other stocks over the trailing 52 weeks as of mid-May 2026.

Life insurance and financial savings products company Primerica Inc. (PRI) exemplifies SSR Group 2, which follows Dreman’s larger-cap value strategy. The stock trades at a low price-earnings (P/E) ratio of 11.7. Primerica also pays a dividend—as is required by the strategy—and yields 1.7%.

Both stocks are part of the Platinum 30. The A+ Grades reflect the differences in the types of stocks that Group 1 and Group 2 seek. Willdan Group has very strong Growth and Momentum Grades, representative of O’Neil’s approach. Primerica has a Value Grade of B, indicative of the value approach favored by Dreman.

Only two stocks in Group 2 qualified to be included in the Platinum 30 based on the grade requirements as of mid-May 2026.

VMQ Stocks

The VMQ strategy is based on two of the strongest indicators of long-term outperformance in investing: value and momentum. Value investing involves buying stocks trading at low valuations. Momentum investing involves buying stocks with above-average price returns. The two characteristics have both been linked to high long-term returns.

The strategy seeks stocks whose valuations rank in the lowest 40% of all exchange-listed stocks (Value Grade of A or B) and whose weighted four-quarter price returns rank in the top 40% of all stocks (Momentum Grade of A or B). A separate quality component is included to weed out the riskiest stocks and identify those stocks with additional characteristics associated with upside potential (Quality Grade of A or B).

The VMQ approach uses the same Value, Momentum and Quality Grades as A+ Investor does.

Energy company Par Pacific Holdings Inc. (PARR) is in the VMQ model portfolio and currently meets the strategy’s qualifications for inclusion. The stock’s price-earnings ratio of 6.9 helps give it a Value Grade of A, which is deep value. Its Momentum Score of 94 (equivalent to a Momentum Grade of A) indicates that its four-quarter weighted relative price strength ranks in the top 10% of all stocks. Par Pacific’s high profitability relative to invested capital and buyback yield of 10% helps it to earn a very strong Quality Grade of A.

Par Pacific is one of only two VMQ holdings included in the Platinum 30 portfolio. Both have Value and Quality Grades of A.

How to Use the Platinum 30

The Platinum 30 is presented to give you a sample of the stocks held in each model portfolio that currently have attractive A+ Investor Grades related to each portfolio’s approach. These are stocks that could be candidates for your own portfolio. The Platinum 30 isn’t a finish line—it’s a launchpad. Use the A+ Investor Grades to explore each stock’s strengths and limitations. Test strategy combinations, track grade movements or simulate your own custom model. With AAII Platinum, these stocks offer a starting point for your next investment breakthrough.

The stocks included in the Platinum 30 can and will change over time as changes in grades occur among the respective portfolio holdings. For more on AAII Platinum, please c lick here.