Just curious to see what people's top 3 stocks so far this year have been. Not looking for recs on future appreciation - this is more about where we've been than where we're going. Reason I ask is that often a stock gets beaten down for no good reason, and if you know the story you can wade in while others are swimming wildly for shore. I like to keep a list of these close at hand, in fact it's where I do half my shopping. Let the stock prove itself, then buy the bargain when some black swan or grizzly bear appears. Lot's of those about lately, so might as well use them to advantage.

OK then.... for me the top 3 for 2011 thus far have been:

Hathor - HAT.

Nothing much to explain here. If you have any sort of grasp of the global energy picture, this one's a no-brainer. Bought in the Fukushima panic. Up 38%

Fortuna Silver - FVI

Ha! And you guys thought I was a silver basher... This one's not up as much as HAT (8%) but I've been trading it as well, so my overall return is better. Still a buy, IMO.

Newstrike Capital - NES

Hats off to Cousudor on this one! No need for details here, I'm sure most of us have looked at it. A new all time high in the midst of utter chaos by itself tells you there's something of substance there. Up 53%

Primero - P which I mentioned back in Feb. doesn't make the cut because although it's being acquired by Northgate, anyone who followed me into it had a very nasty slide to contend with first. Such is the nature of the game - you get the call right, but the timing is off.

To sum it up, if volatility is here to stay, I can't think of a better way to play it than to sit on cash until the market breaks, then scoop up the Hathors and Fortunas that are being thrown away. Seems less dicey than putting money into wildcat explorers. Even though the returns are higher, the risks are much harder to manage - for me at least.

ebear