Suitably Flip

CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge - Thursday, Week 5

[Scroll down for answers to today's Bonus Bucks trivia questions.]

Watch this space for today's picks and contest updates.

Meanwhile, let's take a quick prediction poll on this morning's unemployment report (due out at 8:30).  A week ago, initial jobless claims clocked in at 357,000, a decrease of 18,000 from the previous week.  This week, analysts expect an increase to 370,000.

What are you expecting?

Update:  Poll closed.  Actual number:  384,000.

Smart crowd.  That was in the range of your second most popular answer.  And 69% of you correctly guessed that the number would surprise to the upside.

Update:  Shortly after the open, it looks like Groups 1 and 4 (last names beginning with A-F and T-Z) will be vying for the biggest gain today:

1. A-F: NDN, CASY, LCC, CAL:  6.3%
2. G-L: NDN, CASY, KWK, GDP: 2.0%
3. M-S: ENS, KWK, GDP, CHK: 1.3%
4. T-Z: LCC, CAL, AMR, UAUA: 4.9%

Happily, everyone's looking at gains so far amid a market rallying retail sales data, but a nice rebound in airlines (whose stupefying recent declines we looked at last night) and a solid earnings surprise from Casey's General Stores (CASY) are contributing to the bookend groups' big moves.

If everyone's been following along, our best performing subgroup should be looking at an approximate week-to-date gain of 14.7%, including bonus bucks through today.  Weekly leader Paul Dorell was up 12.3% through yesterday, so we've got a decent shot at this.

And for the first time during the contest, there are no eligible companies reporting earnings after today's close or before tomorrow's open (that I can see anyway - if you come across one, let me know).  So for the 5th and final reallocation of this week's crowdsourced TAG Heuer poaching experiment, let's simply bisect the surviving portfolios into oil operations and airlines.  As long as oil prices move tomorrow, one of these two ought to have a good day.

• Boys:  EAC, OXY, WLL, CLR (oil)
• Girls:  LCC, CAL, AMR, UAUA (airlines)

If you're using multiple portfolios, just divide them up evenly (or however you want) between the two.

Update:  Reader Dominic notes that Synutra (SYUT), a Chinese baby formula manufacturer, is set to report earnings tomorrow and the company is indeed contest-eligible.  I'm unable to confirm the timing of the release (if it's after 4:00 pm, it's not of much use to us today), but assuming it's some time tomorrow morning, this could be an interesting play.

Almost no analyst coverage, only recently came public, hugely volatile, etc.  If your gameplay involves what would ordinarily be an irrational negative risk tolerance (which it should), you may consider swapping this into one of the slots in your oil and/or airline basket.  No guarantees it moves higher, but there's an awfully good chance it's going to move big.

Consider all of the above to be for entertainment purposes and not meant to be used as real-world investment recommendations.  The goals and strategies of the Portfolio Challenge are not to be confused with those of sensible investing.

---

See all related posts in the CNBC Portfolio Challenge archive:

• Week 5:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
  
• Week 4:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Week 3:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Week 2:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Week 1:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Week 0:  Pre-game

• A New Fly In the Ointment
• Currency Trading Resumes
• More Technical Difficulties
• Prize Poll
• The Airing Of Grievances
• Technical Difficulties, Orders Cancelled

To receive additional updates by e-mail, drop a line here with the word "Subscribe" in the subject header.

---

Thursday June 12th

Throughout the contest, each day's answers will be at the top of the CNBC Portfolio Challenge archive as soon as the questions are published, so bookmark accordingly.

Daily Trivia:

Squawk Box:  "Question: Web Video Hunt: On Wednesday's "Squawk Box," Sequoia's Mark Kvamme discussed bringing a Web site to TV. Which one?"

    Answer:  funnyordie.com

Squawk On the Street:  "Question: In "Stocks Could Be Hostage To Oil Prices All Summer" which defensive play did Richard Sparks recommend?"

    Answer:  PetroQuest

The Call:  "Question: In the Two-Way Street blog post, "Missing Ron Paul: Readers Respond", which CNBC.com reader used the phrase "corporate lapdog"?"

    Answer:  Frosty
    (Specifically, it was, "Blow it out your a**, you corporate lapdog."  Got to love the Paulnuts.)

Power Lunch:  "Question: In "The Surest Sign It's Time to Sell" (Feb. 19) Cramer gave timeless stock advice. What was his "rock solid" sell sign?"

    Answer:  Heavily shorted & hyped

Street Signs:  "Question: In Bob Pisani's blog post, "Global Theme: Inflation Worries" how many nations does he specifically name?"

    Answer:  Six

Closing Bell: "Question: In "Surging Crude Means Picking Shrewd" why did Christopher Zook praise Applied Materials?"

    Answer:  Solar growth opportunity

Comments

CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge - Thursday, Week 5

[Scroll down for answers to today's Bonus Bucks trivia questions.]

Watch this space for today's picks and contest updates.

Meanwhile, let's take a quick prediction poll on this morning's unemployment report (due out at 8:30).  A week ago, initial jobless claims clocked in at 357,000, a decrease of 18,000 from the previous week.  This week, analysts expect an increase to 370,000.

What are you expecting?

Update:  Poll closed.  Actual number:  384,000.

Smart crowd.  That was in the range of your second most popular answer.  And 69% of you correctly guessed that the number would surprise to the upside.

Update:  Shortly after the open, it looks like Groups 1 and 4 (last names beginning with A-F and T-Z) will be vying for the biggest gain today:

1. A-F: NDN, CASY, LCC, CAL:  6.3%
2. G-L: NDN, CASY, KWK, GDP: 2.0%
3. M-S: ENS, KWK, GDP, CHK: 1.3%
4. T-Z: LCC, CAL, AMR, UAUA: 4.9%

Happily, everyone's looking at gains so far amid a market rallying retail sales data, but a nice rebound in airlines (whose stupefying recent declines we looked at last night) and a solid earnings surprise from Casey's General Stores (CASY) are contributing to the bookend groups' big moves.

If everyone's been following along, our best performing subgroup should be looking at an approximate week-to-date gain of 14.7%, including bonus bucks through today.  Weekly leader Paul Dorell was up 12.3% through yesterday, so we've got a decent shot at this.

And for the first time during the contest, there are no eligible companies reporting earnings after today's close or before tomorrow's open (that I can see anyway - if you come across one, let me know).  So for the 5th and final reallocation of this week's crowdsourced TAG Heuer poaching experiment, let's simply bisect the surviving portfolios into oil operations and airlines.  As long as oil prices move tomorrow, one of these two ought to have a good day.

• Boys:  EAC, OXY, WLL, CLR (oil)
• Girls:  LCC, CAL, AMR, UAUA (airlines)

If you're using multiple portfolios, just divide them up evenly (or however you want) between the two.

Update:  Reader Dominic notes that Synutra (SYUT), a Chinese baby formula manufacturer, is set to report earnings tomorrow and the company is indeed contest-eligible.  I'm unable to confirm the timing of the release (if it's after 4:00 pm, it's not of much use to us today), but assuming it's some time tomorrow morning, this could be an interesting play.

Almost no analyst coverage, only recently came public, hugely volatile, etc.  If your gameplay involves what would ordinarily be an irrational negative risk tolerance (which it should), you may consider swapping this into one of the slots in your oil and/or airline basket.  No guarantees it moves higher, but there's an awfully good chance it's going to move big.

Consider all of the above to be for entertainment purposes and not meant to be used as real-world investment recommendations.  The goals and strategies of the Portfolio Challenge are not to be confused with those of sensible investing.

---

See all related posts in the CNBC Portfolio Challenge archive:

• Week 5:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
  
• Week 4:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Week 3:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Week 2:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Week 1:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Week 0:  Pre-game

• A New Fly In the Ointment
• Currency Trading Resumes
• More Technical Difficulties
• Prize Poll
• The Airing Of Grievances
• Technical Difficulties, Orders Cancelled

To receive additional updates by e-mail, drop a line here with the word "Subscribe" in the subject header.

---

Thursday June 12th

Throughout the contest, each day's answers will be at the top of the CNBC Portfolio Challenge archive as soon as the questions are published, so bookmark accordingly.

Daily Trivia:

Squawk Box:  "Question: Web Video Hunt: On Wednesday's "Squawk Box," Sequoia's Mark Kvamme discussed bringing a Web site to TV. Which one?"

    Answer:  funnyordie.com

Squawk On the Street:  "Question: In "Stocks Could Be Hostage To Oil Prices All Summer" which defensive play did Richard Sparks recommend?"

    Answer:  PetroQuest

The Call:  "Question: In the Two-Way Street blog post, "Missing Ron Paul: Readers Respond", which CNBC.com reader used the phrase "corporate lapdog"?"

    Answer:  Frosty
    (Specifically, it was, "Blow it out your a**, you corporate lapdog."  Got to love the Paulnuts.)

Power Lunch:  "Question: In "The Surest Sign It's Time to Sell" (Feb. 19) Cramer gave timeless stock advice. What was his "rock solid" sell sign?"

    Answer:  Heavily shorted & hyped

Street Signs:  "Question: In Bob Pisani's blog post, "Global Theme: Inflation Worries" how many nations does he specifically name?"

    Answer:  Six

Closing Bell: "Question: In "Surging Crude Means Picking Shrewd" why did Christopher Zook praise Applied Materials?"

    Answer:  Solar growth opportunity