Robert Freedland

Robert has over 40 years of investment experience and is a full-time optical surgeon. He uses his expertise in the medical field to help select healthcare stocks. He is also a popular stock blogger.

Investment style

Robert utilizes two divergent strategies for identifying new names for inclusion in his portfolios. In strong market environments, he searches for companies with both price and earnings momentum making strong moves higher. During more difficult times, he concentrates on larger companies with proven strategies of dominating their industry that he believes can continue to succeed in future financial environments.

Robert examines companies, looking for persistence of revenue growth, earnings growth, dividend growth if possible, stable outstanding shares, positive and possibly growing free cash flow, and balance sheets with greater current assets than current liabilities. Technically, any company included should be reasonably expected to continue or move higher. All investments will continue to be managed with limiting losses after initial purchases to predetermined levels by selling complete positions should those holdings decline to 8% or similar loss level, and selling portions of holdings as they appreciate to realize gains to offset possible realized losses. These sales on the downside or upside will also be the source of market signals that will determine whether the portfolio will be moving into more cash or adding new positions except at the extremes of the portfolio which will be at 5 holdings minimum and 20 holdings maximum.

Robert may override these rules depending on developing fundamental news or my own assessment of changing market conditions. But it is his stated goal to minimize these arbitrary actions and depend almost wholly on the above-mentioned trading strategy and similar strategies discussed in greater depth on his blog.

How I got started

Robert started investing at the age of 13 and took $300 of savings and purchased 5 shares of Global Marine upon the advice of his soon-to-be brother-in-law. Previously, Robert had been inspired by his father who often asked Robert to read the stock prices to him as he had a hard time reading them.

Robert was soon captivated by the investment world and bought small holdings of diverse stock of companies like Jones & Laughlin Steel, I.C. Industries, and many other names no longer still trading as free-standing companies. Robert continued to invest small amounts through high school, college, medical school and read as many financial investment magazines and books as he could find.

In 2003, Robert started my current blog, Stock Picks Bob's Advice, and tried to document his developing strategy, sharing with his readers actual purchases and sales as well as thoughts and rationale on hundreds of other companies.

Personal Interests

Robert is a doctor and spends many hours each week devoted to the care of his patients and their eye problems. A bit of a collector as well, Robert enjoys growing his Pez collection of candy dispensers, a hobby he has kept for 25 years.