I hope everyone has been enjoying the holidays. There isn't much value in over-analyzing today’s price action, as Wall Street is largely on vacation and volumes are thin. Instead, with the year ending tomorrow, I want to zoom out. In this issue, I’ll recap the last three years of our journey, share exactly how I am positioned for 2026, and explain the 'why' behind it.
To start, the last three years have been nothing short of a dream come true for me. I started writing this Substack to share my research workflow, document my journey in the US Investing Championship, and share all of the live trades I took in the contest.
2023 USIC - Enhanced Growth Division ($20k+)
I entered the 2023 contest with $173k, and grew that to $352k via a +103.5% return. This was my first ever, triple digit year 👇
2024 USIC - Enhanced Growth Division ($20k+)
I entered the 2024 contest with $352k, and grew that to $1.24MM via a +254% return. I had much more belief in my system after getting a top finish the year prior! 👇
I made my debut in the Money Manager Division with a starting balance of $1.24MM. While official performance won't be finalized until after tomorrow's closing bell, I am on track to finish at approximately $1.75MM, securing a +40% return for the year.
Each and every trade I took over the last three years was shared in real-time with subscribers, and the entire journey is documented in our research notes. To the original subscribers who took a leap of faith with me before anyone knew who I was: thank you. I haven’t forgotten you.
With all of that said, the S&P 500 has had an excellent 3-year run. Anyone can look like a genius in a raging bull market👇
This is why I am going to keep competing. There is an old saying that most money managers fail to beat the S&P 500 over a long time horizon. I want to prove to myself that I am top-tier in the craft I have devoted my life to. I want to trade the next bear market (whenever it appears) and not just survive it, but outperform through it.
With that out of the way… let’s discuss my open risk into 2026 and my high-level game plan for the contest. I intend to win this year.
Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Andrew O'Connell, CFA, FRM.
