What's Hot, What's Not, and Smart Stops

By Chuck LeBeau, Director of Analytics at www.SmartStops.net.

The stocks in this week's "What's Hot" list are mixed while the "What's Not" list is composed of stocks concentrated in the financial services and banking industries. You will also note that even after the severe losses in 2008, it still made sense to protect positions with trailing stops in 2009.

The lesson here is that even stocks that are at low prices can always go even lower. Many investors will fail to recognize that truth until it is too late.

What's Hot

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network (ANW Quote)

Sector: Energy

Industry: Oil & Gas Operations

Recent low: $7.62 on Nov. 21, 2008. Recent high: $20.00 on Feb. 12, 2009. Price on Feb. 25, 2009: $17.01. SmartStops exit alert occurs at $14.56.

Shares traded as high as $44.33 last May and then declined to a low of $7.62 in November. The fast-moving stock is currently up more than 100% from that low.

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network is an international marine fuel logistics company that markets and physically supplies refined marine fuel to ships in port and at sea. The company procures product from various sources (such as refineries, oil producers, and traders) and resells it to a diverse group of customers across all major commercial shipping sectors and leading cruise lines. An International Maritime Organization regulation is causing single-hull bunkering tankers to be phased out by 2015 and replaced with double-hull ships because they are less likely to cause oil spills. This will cause many small suppliers to sell out, and Aegean would be a prime candidate to help them out in this matter. They already have a large number of double-hull tankers on the water and more are expected to be delivered over the next couple years.