Kiplinger's August picks edge past the S&P 500 by 0.1 points after 3 days

3 Days Later — Aug 14, 2026

How are Kiplinger's 7 up-and-coming stock picks performing?

Kiplinger's seven picks from mid-August are up an average of 0.6% after three trading days, compared to a 0.5% gain for the S&P 500 over the same window. Five of the seven stocks are ahead of the index at this early stage.

Aehr Test Systems leads the group with a 3.7% gain. The remaining picks are clustered closer to the market's performance, with two trailing slightly behind.

Three days is too early to draw conclusions about any portfolio's trajectory. Short-term price moves often reflect noise rather than the fundamental thesis behind a pick, and volatility can swing results quickly in either direction.