In 2023, Barron’s published a portfolio of 77 recommended stocks, which yielded an average total return of 9.9%. However, these returns trailed behind their respective benchmarks, which saw a 12.7% increase.

Reviewing the performance of stocks endorsed in bullish articles, Barron’s attributed the underperformance to the decision of solely including one of the Magnificent 7 – Tesla (TSLA).

The picks are measured against the S&P 500 (NYSEARCA:SPY) (IVV) (VOO), the S&P 400 Midcap (MDY), or the Russell 2000 (IWM), depending on the market cap.

Tesla emerged as the top performer, boasting a total return of nearly 120% since its article mention. This was followed by Frontier Communications (FYBR) up 77%, Ferguson (FERG) up 55%, SharkNinja (SN) up 49.%, and Ferrari (RACE) up 43%.

On the flip side, Hertz (HTZ) was the worst performer, witnessing a decline of 44%, followed by Pfizer (PFE), off 32%. The article labeled PFE as a value pick that turned out to be cheap for a reason.

Net Power (NPWR) fell 31%, the restaurant payments processor Toast (TOST) saw a loss of 22%, and Topgolf Callaway (MODG) experienced a decline of 17%.