Looking back at past stock picks is important because it helps investors understand what worked, what didn't, and why. It turns trading decisions into a learning process by separating skill from luck and highlighting patterns in both good and bad outcomes. Over time, this can improve discipline, sharpen strategy, and lead to more consistent decision-making.
In this update we revisit the following former stock picks and examine how they performed:
-- Intel, reviewed by Al Root in April. -- Progressive, covered by Andrew Bary in October. -- Bristol Myers Squibb, introduced by Dan Victor in November.
This note revisits past stock picks where new developments favor fresh buy or sell signals. Read last week's edition here.
Intel
The semiconductor has advanced nearly 500% over the past year. The stock trades 4% below its 52-week high and has demonstrated excellent consistency, not recording a three-week losing streak all year. It has gained 107% since our recommendation.
The stock's daily chart shows strong relative performance versus Nvidia, as seen on the ratio chart since April:
Intel gapped up 24% on April 24 following a well-received earnings report, breaking out of a bull flag. It has demonstrated strong follow-through, posting weekly gains of 20% and 25% in the first weeks after earnings. It broke above a double-bottom pivot at $126.74 on June 15 and is now holding just above that breakout level. The stock has also found support at its rising 50-day simple moving average and bounced off the very round $100 level.
Enter here, with upside targeting a move toward $160 by the third quarter, representing a 21% gain from current levels. Remain bullish above $116. Intel was trading around $135 Wednesday.
Progressive
The insurance stock is down 19% over the past year but has gained 8% over the past month. That shows good relative strength, as it has doubled the gain of the iShares U.S. Insurance ETF, though it is down 2% since our recommendation.
Progressive's daily chart shows how downside momentum began to weaken late last year. The first sign came with a bullish MACD crossover in November, followed by positive divergence as the indicator continued to make higher lows while the stock itself recorded lower lows:
Investors should also note Tuesday's recapture of the 200-day simple moving average, a key long-term trend line that the stock had traded below for nearly a year. Round-number theory also played a role, as shares broke down from a bearish descending triangle centered around the $100 level. However, that move ultimately proved to be a failed breakdown. Although the stock slipped below support on April 1, it reclaimed the $100 level on June 5 with a strong 4.5% gain.
The descending triangle originated with the completion of a bearish evening star on Dec. 16 while the stock was filling a gap from Oct. 14. Now, the slope of the 50-day SMA is turning higher for the first time in at least a year.
Progressive stock could reach $250 by year-end, representing 16% upside from current levels. Remain bullish above $209. Progressive was trading around $219 Wednesday.
Bristol Myers Squibb
The pharmaceutical company is up 18% over the past year and pays a dividend yield of 4.5%. It trades 12% below its 52-week high and is seeking to recover from last week's 5.5% loss, its worst weekly return since last July. The stock is up 22% since our recommendation.
Looking at the weekly chart, the stock shows a higher low on the ratio chart versus the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF, suggesting improving relative strength:
The healthcare sector itself has also been resilient, ranking as the second-best performing S&P sector over the past week. After a sharp 50% decline from the $80 to $40 range between early 2023 and mid-2024, BMY's price structure has begun to stabilize.
A bullish ascending triangle has formed following that extended decline, supported by multiple technical signals over time. In 2022, clusters of doji candles and bearish engulfing patterns reflected sustained downside pressure and signaled the downtrend. More recently, the stock has been building a base near its rising 50-week SMA, with higher lows reinforced by bullish hammers and a harami between May and July 2024, followed by a doji in October.
Enter here, with a longer-term target toward $75 by early 2027, representing 34% upside. Remain bullish above $52. Bristol Myers Squibb was trading around $55 Wednesday.
Doug Busch is the senior technical analyst at Barron's Investor Circle . His technical view is added to stock picks, including those published exclusively for Investor Circle readers. A glossary of technical terms is updated regularly with new entries.
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June 25, 2026 00:26 ET (04:26 GMT)
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