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“Is this really the No. 1 stock pick across the entire Motley Fool universe?”

Your friendly neighborhood Gumshoe is on vacation this week and celebrating Independence Day, but we’ve gotten so many questions about this pick that we can’t resist sharing it with you.

Again.

The Motley Fool has hyped up this same pick several times this year — quite profitably so far, though I’ve not been along for the ride.

Here’s how they’re pitching it this week:

“Not only has Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner named this remarkable company both a “Core” holding and a ‘Best Buy Now’ for June 2013 in our growth-focused Motley Fool Rule Breakers newsletter…

“He’s also recommended it to his Rule Breakers members on three separate occasions — and even put real money behind it not once, but twice, for his cutting-edge Motley Fool Supernova service (and every one of these positions is already beating a white-hot S&P 500 by double-digit percentages).

“Former hedge-fund guru Ron Gross (who beat the S&P 500 by 145% between 2000 and 2008) has also purchased this stock multiple times for our Motley Fool Million Dollar Portfolio service — calling this “a rare transformational company whose growth potential is limited only by its imagination.”

“But David Gardner and Ron Gross aren’t the only ones ‘doubling down’ on this one-of-a-kind opportunity…

“David’s brother, fellow Motley Fool co-founder and CEO, Tom Gardner, has actually bought this stock on FOUR separate occasions over the past year.

“And not just for the “Everlasting Portfolio” he runs inside of his elite $7,500/year Motley Fool ONE service, mind you… but also for his own personal portfolio.

“In fact, this stock is our CEO’s largest personal holding!”

And this isn’t just a rehash of the pitch they made for this newsletter back during ski season, they’re actively touting it at the current price today:

“Shares have already soared 49% this year, so we’re all sitting on a nice paper gain, but we’re convinced the big money is still yet to be made. And obviously we’re not alone…

  • Forbes just ranked this company No. 1 on its list of the 25 fastest-growing technology firms and noted that it “blew away other Fast Tech 25 firms with three- to five-year estimated earnings per share growth of 51%.”
  • Credit Suisse analysts just began covering this company — and have conservatively set a price target nearly 35% above the current share price…
  • And, investment legend George Soros recently snapped up 60,000 shares…

“Meanwhile, Tom Gardner says we could see this company at least quadruple in value over the next decade.

“Which is why he just named it as his TOP stock pick for June 2013 in our flagship Motley Fool Stock Advisor newsletter — where the average pick has beaten the S&P 500 by a 75% margin over the past 11 years.”

So yep, this “No. 1 stock pick across the entire Motley Fool universe” is still … LinkedIn (LNKD)

And no, I don’t own it. Or much like using the service — though I’m probably a bit of a misanthrope and I don’t really like the regular cocktail party version of networking, either, and I’m not hiring or looking for a job, so what I think may not count too much. I’ve covered this a few times and there’s only so many ways you can say, “hey, this is really expensive!” and “gee, I wish I’d bought it so I could have that 50% gainer this year.”

But more importantly, I’m on vacation — so you can toss your own opinion on the pile with a comment below.

Or check out what readers said when we unveiled this teaser the first time around here, or when Tom Gardner called it the “#1 pick” after it rose 50% from there just a month later. And there’s actually a good Bloomberg video interview with LinkedIn’s CEO here that might help you decide to drink the Kool-ade. It’s hyper growth, and you pay for at least a big chunk of that anticipated growth if you buy it today.

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proudgrampa
Member
proudgrampa
July 1, 2013 10:10 am

Hey, Travis – I’m with you on this one. I don’t get the LNKD schtick. And I agree that it is very expensive, relative to other stocks in the universe (motley or otherwise).

Mark
Member
Mark
July 1, 2013 10:15 am

Travis, Enjoy your vacation!!! Enjoy life!!!

masonxhamilton
Guest
masonxhamilton
July 1, 2013 10:34 am

Travis, You really need to fix the mechanics of you comment section. I spent a half and hour writing a comment only to lose it when your program said I hadn’t competed the required fields – which I had.

hipockets
July 1, 2013 8:20 pm
Reply to  masonxhamilton

Hey Mason —

You might think about composing your comments in a program — such as NotePad — outside of your browser. You can then copy and paste it into the comment box.

That way if your message is lost somewhere in the Worldwide Weird Web, you can re-post it.

I’ve avoided several moments of frustration by doing this.

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Rusty Brown in Canada
Member
Rusty Brown in Canada
July 2, 2013 8:50 am
Reply to  hipockets

Or for short comments, I just highlight and copy to save a temporary version before trying to post it. Not so great for longer comments.

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leewebb
leewebb
July 12, 2021 8:16 am

Try ClipDiary, it’s free and just add it to clipboard anytime with a Cntrl-C, retrieve it later as needed. Great FREE app.

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amadeus49
Member
amadeus49
July 7, 2013 8:54 am
Reply to  hipockets

I agree with Mason, having learned my lesson the frustrating way, losing work before it’s it was saved or sent … applies to program freezes, electric outages, website design flaws, browser anomalies, you name it. I’ll even save the NotePad text if it’s important enough.

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Dave
Guest
Dave
July 1, 2013 10:48 am

700 p/e with a 10% drop in operating income qtr to qtr, are you kidding?

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Deborah G Flynn
July 1, 2013 11:44 am

I honestly don’t “GET
” all these social media things. Who cares and much more they have zero tangible assets so what are you buying anyway? I like STUFF< you know products, commodities, buildings REAL stuff. . Linked in to me is another Fcaebook, when people get tired of it , it will tank

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larry fuller
July 1, 2013 11:47 am

Hi Travis, you make my day, just looking at your picture (when it shows up). I pray you
are as happy with life, family, business as you appear to be. Your service is ‘over the top’, i have subscribed to many newsletters that cost big bucks and yours is the best. have a great rest, look forward to more good stuff down the line. also i will be contributing more..

John Harris
Member
John Harris
July 1, 2013 11:58 am

Well I don’t get social media sites either and refuse to waste my time on them but apparently I am in the minority (with Travis and others above). Seems if Motley Fool likes it and Louis Navalier recos it too for his Blue Chip Growth (which I subscribe to and follow the recos), I found the courage to buy a very small position. It is up enough now for a stop loss where I bought it so I am along for the ride with no faith at all that it will go anywhere but not risking much at this point.

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Marian Mundy
Member
July 1, 2013 12:23 pm

Travis, I love you and your great work. You have saved me from a number of ghastly, costly mistakes. Some of those teasers can be mighty convincing. Enjoy your break!

sagenot
Guest
sagenot
July 1, 2013 2:53 pm

Linked In is nothing like Facebook, but their PE is out of sight. If ever there was a need for a “trailing Stop,” LI is it!. Ever since the crash bottomed, LI began to catch on & is now a cult feature. Adults, successful or wannabes, make up most of their membership, not so with that gossipy Face Book.

Enjoy your vacation Travis, keep up the good work.

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masonxhamilton
Guest
masonxhamilton
July 1, 2013 3:30 pm

The only people impressed with LNKD are the analyst who don’t use it to any extent. LNKD management has ignored several serious flaws in their current model which is largely driven by it’s discussion groups. Unfortunately, those discussion groups have no moderation other than by their “owners” and often become seriousl biased in the information they allow to appear – especially if it isn’t inline with their perspective or what they’re promoting.

LNKD allows group owners to censor comments that they don’t find civil – as many sites do. However, if you spend much time on LNKD discussion groups you find some group owners censor ones they simply don’t like and then if the commenter persists, the group owner can ban them from the group. Unfortunately, for both LNKD users and the banned commenter – LNKD management has automated the censoring/banning process to require all of the commenters comments on all their other groups to be reviewed by the respective owner before posting. This destroys any conversational quality and any real time responses – as well as limiting any competitive perspectives. In large groups, group owners simply ignore comments that require reviewing.

Ironically, there is a LNKD discussion group for people that have been censored and banned by LNKD’s management lack of moderation in the group owned sites and the user frustration can be read there – if you’re doing any serious in depth analysis of LNKD. According to some users – there have been thousands abused by this lack of professional moderation design provision by LNKD designers and management. (http://community.linkedin.com/questions/1882/why-the-comments-submissions-sharing-groups-and-al.html#answer-46421)

Of course the LNKD current big promotion is the use of the site’s user profiles for hiring purposes. The only problem is none of the information found in user profiles is verified. Worse, since users that are looking for work are competing with large numbers of similar individuals – exaggeration and embellishment become equally competitive. While an employer might get a very general idea of who individuals are on LNKD, the lack of verified employment information makes the information at best an unqualified lead. It’s hard to see how any serious HR people are going to get sufficient benefit from this service to pay for it. Sooner or later even the most ignorant LNKD advertisers – and analyst will see these functionality holes in LNKD’s future income expectations.

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Judy Appleton
Guest
Judy Appleton
July 1, 2013 5:07 pm

The only thing is about these stocks that Motley or the others tout, it they probably go up. Check out their chart, candlesticks, etc. and buy an option on it. You may make a little money.

advantedges
July 6, 2013 2:06 pm
Reply to  Judy Appleton

See my comment re: good of LNKD.

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Hacker
Guest
Hacker
July 1, 2013 7:03 pm

I have yet to figure out what good linkedin is. If someone could explain it, I would appreciate it.

Bill W
Member
Bill W
July 3, 2013 8:41 pm

@Hacker
Just another way to network and meet people, join social groups or push your resume in hopes an interested party picks up on it.

JOHN
Guest
JOHN
July 5, 2013 10:37 am

LOST 90% ON TWO OF THEIR “PENNY” STOCKS

advantedges
July 6, 2013 2:03 pm

Hey Travis – Why aren’t you hiring? The growth potential
Is there —- no wonder US workers can’t find jobs! (J/K)
Many of us do not want to complicate our lives with employees.

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advantedges
July 6, 2013 2:05 pm

For Hacked — LNKD is good as a dating service! Match Maker!

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Kirk
Member
July 7, 2013 10:09 am

Linked in has a few problems that are going to be difficult to overcome.
I have researched LinkedIn extensively. From what I can tell the company has some monumental problems and some problems. Here’s two that are easy to understand. First is that they are spending oodles on rented real estate.
http://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-office-tour-2013-4?op=1
http://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-office-tour-2012-7?op=1
Check out their financials it’ll astound you. With what they raised, they should have bought (and then depreciated) real estate near the bottom of the market, rather than renting.
Next and most importantly, in a tight labor market, as we are forecast to have in several years as the boomers retire, LinkedIn is going to have monumental issues keeping the site relevant. Right now they have millions of people on there “networking” and “looking” for work. It’s a cyclical phenomenon they are doing well. How will they handle a different cycle.
Overall, I have not been impressed with their management (or their management’s pay) at all. We used to have a saying in our office, “so and so, is a bull market money manager” (ooops, gave my background away). Why? Because when the market went up he was brilliant, but when it went down, it was the market’s fault.
LinkedIn’s management are bull market managers. They look good because they slightly reinvented the Monster wheel at the right time. It won’t last.

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Kirk
Member
July 7, 2013 10:25 am
Reply to  Kirk

no edit function, hit sent too quick, they spent an enormous amount on the hq. They should have put their silicon valley attitude on a shelf and built in Sacramento where they could have spent a third of what they did. Getting staff would have been no problem and they would have been “Kings” of that city without having to lose basketball games.

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frankw17
July 7, 2013 4:02 pm

Travis, this has nothing to do with Linked In,but instead is a request about an opinion re.
“Tax-Free Oil Wealth: The Perfect Retirement Plan” currently being pitched by Brian Hicks
at Wealth Daily. He makes this thing sound like a phenomenal investment, tax free, that
will make you incredibly wealthy. This reminds me of that old adage “if it sounds to good
to be true, it probably isn’t”!
Comments, anyone?
Frank

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dennis
Guest
July 13, 2013 2:26 am

A lot of talk about gold shooting-up. What gives? thanks

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Ronald Atlas
Guest
Ronald Atlas
July 17, 2013 6:24 pm

I subscribe to Thomas Garrity at Cabot Small Cap and I must tell you it has made me a lot of money. I think he has only had 3 losers in the last two years with some unbelievable picks led by Unipixel this year which was an 8 bagger and since has retreated a bunch. He recommended selking on the way up. It is clearly the best service I have ever subscribed to, although I believe it is limited to the number of subscribers he will take.

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