Measure real performance
6 MONTHS UPDATE
The Motley Fool's January 2026 picks trail the S&P 500 by 10 points after six months
Source article by Adria Cimino, The Motley Fool
Updated July 3, 2026
6 Months Later — Jul 3, 2026
How are The Motley Fool's New Year stock picks performing after 6 months?
The Motley Fool's ten stocks to start 2026 posted an average return of -1.4% at the six-month mark, trailing the S&P 500's 9.0% gain by just over 10 percentage points. The picks, published by Adria Cimino in early January, delivered mixed results across the portfolio.
Target (TGT) led the group with a 29.5% gain, outpacing the index by more than 20 points. Beyond that standout, only two other picks managed to beat the market through the period.
Seven of the ten picks underperformed the S&P 500 over the same six months. The gap reflects broader weakness across most of the portfolio rather than isolated losses.
3 Days Later — Jan 8, 2026
How are The Motley Fool's January 2026 stock picks performing?
The Motley Fool's January stock picks have gained 3.7% in their first three days, outpacing the S&P 500's 0.9% return by 2.8 percentage points. Ten of the eleven picks are trading above the market benchmark.
IonQ leads with a 7.9% gain. The portfolio's broad-based strength comes early—most of the picks are participating in the rally rather than a single name carrying the result.
Three days is too short a window to draw conclusions about these picks. Early moves reflect immediate market reaction, not sustained performance. The spread between winners and laggards will likely widen as more trading days accumulate.
Full progress so far — every tracked pick ↓
← swipe to see the full table →
More tracked results