Please utilize this Leaderboard FAQ page as your go-to resource for answers to frequently asked questions about the platform, our strategies and more. The video featured at the top of the page is our most recent Leaderboard Scorecard webinar, which takes place the first week of each month.
How Is Leaderboard Different From Other IBD Products?
Leaderboard applies the rules of IBD’s CAN SLIM investing system to a hand-selected portfolio of top growth stocks at proper buy points for position trades.
SwingTrader applies the rules of CAN SLIM in a swing trading environment to help you take advantage of short-term trends.
MarketSmith is a charting platform designed to make your stock research deeper and more efficient. Get all the tools you need to find stocks, research their potential and decide when to buy and sell.
How To Use Leaderboard While Starting Fresh
Just because something is on Leaderboard doesn’t mean it’s currently actionable as a new buy — so we don’t recommend buying everything on the list right away! Sometimes it takes a while to build a full portfolio, so patience is key. Timing your buys properly is just as important as picking the right stocks to put in your portfolio.
Stocks currently in or near proper buy zones will be listed in the “Leaders Near A Buy Point” section.
For stocks extended from proper buy points, wait for pullbacks to the 10-week moving average or even breakouts from shorter consolidations before making a purchase.
Keep in mind how close these stocks are to their earnings reports, too. Buying close to a quarterly report might mean you aren’t able to build enough of a profit cushion to hold the stock through that risk event.
Leaderboard FAQ: What Is The Leaders List?
The Leaders List is a model portfolio actively managed by IBD’s Leaderboard team, whereas Sector Leaders, IBD 50 and Stock Spotlight are algorithm-based lists. The LDRS ETF is a passively managed fund from Innovator Capital Management based on the IBD ETF Leaders index.
Where Are The Stocks In The Portfolio?
When you’re on the main Leaderboard page, you’ll see sections that say “Leaders Near A Buy Zone” and “Leaders” underneath the “Leaders List” heading — that’s where you can find every stock currently in the Leaderboard portfolio.
The “Leaders Near A Buy Zone” list contains stocks in or near buy areas, while the “Leaders” list contains stocks not currently presenting actionable opportunities.
What’s The Size Of A Full Position On Leaderboard?
The size of a full position on Leaderboard is 10% of the portfolio. That means a half position is 5%, while a quarter position is 2.5%. Ten full positions at 10% each would mean we’re fully invested. More than that would mean we’re on margin.
Leaderboard FAQ: Does Leaderboard Have A Mobile App?
Yes, Leaderboard has a mobile app. We recommend utilizing the mobile app’s many features, including real-time push notifications whenever a new position is added, increased, reduced or removed.
Profit Cushion Needed For Holding Into Earnings
When a Leaderboard stock is set to report earnings, we ideally want to have a profit cushion of at least 5% to 10% on the position heading into the quarterly report. At times, there may be exceptions to this rule. We take into consideration the position size, how the stock has reacted to earnings reports in the recent past, our conviction in the stock and more.
