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CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge - Thursday, Week 3

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

Going into today, our group strategy participants are split between a further modified pair of leveraged ETF baskets.  Each holds 50% financials, 25% real estate, and 25% Russell 2000 (each levered 2x).

1. Ultrabull (RE/2xFin/Russell):  URE, UWM, UYG, RFL (25% each)
2. Ultrabear (RE/2xFin/Russell):  SRS, TWM, SKF, RFN (25% each)

Our leading subgroup has put up a week-to-date performance of more than 40% so far.

Check back this afternoon for the 5th and final reallocation for Week 3.

And make sure to come back early tomorrow, when we'll be rolling out a fairly major enhancement to our weekly group strategy going into Week 4, which threatens to boost our top performers' weekly gains by up to 2x.  This is especially relevant to those of you with horrendous portfolios that have booked huge losses (like the many of you who logged such impressively devastated portfolios in our Biggest Loser thread).  These bum portfolios are going to be particularly well-suited to soar with the new tactic.  If you're not already on our mailing list, sign up here and you'll get the details in your inbox as soon as they're unveiled.

In the mean time, I'm delighted to announce that another of our standout performers from the previous Portfolio Challenge (who finished #28 overall) is back on the leaderboard once again.  Jim Medlar is currently ranked #25 with a portfolio value of $2.246 million.

Brad Pine - who shared some of his insights with us earlier this week - has slipped from his #1 perch to #7, but remains a particularly fearsome contender with $2.509 million.

Also, I'll be back on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com this morning from 9:00-10:30.  That means I once again need to call on the astute readership to pitch in with the trivia answers for the 9:00 and possibly the 11:00 questions.  If you've got them, you can submit them (and if you need them, you can access them) in the comment thread to this post.  The other answers will appear as normal in the section below.

Update:  Missing answers now filled in. Thanks to those of you who helped out in my absence.

Update:  With apologies, my computer has gone down and refuses to boot back up. The 2 pm answer is already in the comments and hopefully, one of you will toss the 3 pm answer in as well. As for today's reallocation, it's the same two baskets as yesterday. Any surviving portfolios should be split between the newest ultrbear and ultrabull baskets (as listed above). As for the new Week 4 strategy, it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

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 3:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Week 2:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Week 1:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Pre-game:  CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge Is Back, Stragety Primer

Extra Stuff:  The Biggest Loser, Interview With Bradford Pine

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

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Thursday December 4th

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:  In his CNBC interview Wednesday, who did Carl Icahn say he'd like for Yahoo's next CEO?

    Answer:  none of the above

Squawk On the Street:  Question:  According to The Christmas Tree Indicator, which item's sales grew 8.5% in the first holiday-shopping week?

    Answer:  all of the above

 The Call:  Question:  What slang word for liquor appears in Darren Rovell's blog post on the invention of Gatorade?

    Answer:  firewater

Power Lunch:  Question:  Dennis Kneale predicted the possible 2009 downfall of which bank's CEO?

    Answer:  Bank of America

Update:  With apologies, my computer has gone down and refuses to boot back up. The 2 pm answer is already in the comments and hopefully, one of you will toss the 3 pm answer in as well. As for today's reallocation, it's the same two baskets as yesterday. Any surviving portfolios should be split between the newest ultrbear and ultrabull baskets (as listed above). As for the new Week 4 strategy, it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Street Signs:  2:00 pm

    Answer:

Closing Bell:  3:00 pm

    Answer:

Weekly Quiz:

Question:  Calls give you the right to?

    Answer:  Buy the stock at the strike price

Comments

CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge - Thursday, Week 3

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

Going into today, our group strategy participants are split between a further modified pair of leveraged ETF baskets.  Each holds 50% financials, 25% real estate, and 25% Russell 2000 (each levered 2x).

1. Ultrabull (RE/2xFin/Russell):  URE, UWM, UYG, RFL (25% each)
2. Ultrabear (RE/2xFin/Russell):  SRS, TWM, SKF, RFN (25% each)

Our leading subgroup has put up a week-to-date performance of more than 40% so far.

Check back this afternoon for the 5th and final reallocation for Week 3.

And make sure to come back early tomorrow, when we'll be rolling out a fairly major enhancement to our weekly group strategy going into Week 4, which threatens to boost our top performers' weekly gains by up to 2x.  This is especially relevant to those of you with horrendous portfolios that have booked huge losses (like the many of you who logged such impressively devastated portfolios in our Biggest Loser thread).  These bum portfolios are going to be particularly well-suited to soar with the new tactic.  If you're not already on our mailing list, sign up here and you'll get the details in your inbox as soon as they're unveiled.

In the mean time, I'm delighted to announce that another of our standout performers from the previous Portfolio Challenge (who finished #28 overall) is back on the leaderboard once again.  Jim Medlar is currently ranked #25 with a portfolio value of $2.246 million.

Brad Pine - who shared some of his insights with us earlier this week - has slipped from his #1 perch to #7, but remains a particularly fearsome contender with $2.509 million.

Also, I'll be back on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com this morning from 9:00-10:30.  That means I once again need to call on the astute readership to pitch in with the trivia answers for the 9:00 and possibly the 11:00 questions.  If you've got them, you can submit them (and if you need them, you can access them) in the comment thread to this post.  The other answers will appear as normal in the section below.

Update:  Missing answers now filled in. Thanks to those of you who helped out in my absence.

Update:  With apologies, my computer has gone down and refuses to boot back up. The 2 pm answer is already in the comments and hopefully, one of you will toss the 3 pm answer in as well. As for today's reallocation, it's the same two baskets as yesterday. Any surviving portfolios should be split between the newest ultrbear and ultrabull baskets (as listed above). As for the new Week 4 strategy, it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

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 3:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Week 2:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Week 1:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Pre-game:  CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge Is Back, Stragety Primer

Extra Stuff:  The Biggest Loser, Interview With Bradford Pine

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

---

Thursday December 4th

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:  In his CNBC interview Wednesday, who did Carl Icahn say he'd like for Yahoo's next CEO?

    Answer:  none of the above

Squawk On the Street:  Question:  According to The Christmas Tree Indicator, which item's sales grew 8.5% in the first holiday-shopping week?

    Answer:  all of the above

 The Call:  Question:  What slang word for liquor appears in Darren Rovell's blog post on the invention of Gatorade?

    Answer:  firewater

Power Lunch:  Question:  Dennis Kneale predicted the possible 2009 downfall of which bank's CEO?

    Answer:  Bank of America

Update:  With apologies, my computer has gone down and refuses to boot back up. The 2 pm answer is already in the comments and hopefully, one of you will toss the 3 pm answer in as well. As for today's reallocation, it's the same two baskets as yesterday. Any surviving portfolios should be split between the newest ultrbear and ultrabull baskets (as listed above). As for the new Week 4 strategy, it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Street Signs:  2:00 pm

    Answer:

Closing Bell:  3:00 pm

    Answer:

Weekly Quiz:

Question:  Calls give you the right to?

    Answer:  Buy the stock at the strike price