By RACHEL LOUISE ENSIGN
Here are the new reader stock picks, and their prices as of the market close Dec. 30, 2011, for Sunday Journal’s 46th Investment Dartboard contest, running through June 29.
Amgen (AMGN, $64.21):
An aging population and increased use of prescription drugs mean a sunny future for this drug maker, says Loel Fordham of Port St. Lucie, Fla., who reads Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers.
Arcos Dorados (ARCO, $20.53):
Barry Edwards of Santa Ana, Calif., expects McDonald’s to do well. That means Arcos, which operates the fast-food restaurants in the fast-growing Latin American market, will likely do even better, says the Orange County Register reader, who works for a bakery company that’s a supplier to Arcos.
Enerplus (ERF, $
25.32
):
Joseph Giusto, a retired chemist from Warren, R.I., who reads the Providence Journal, says the rapidly growing natural-gas industry means good returns for this oil-and-gas company.
Google (GOOG, $645.90):
Nancy DeCourcey thinks Google has room to grow in small towns like Jefferson, N.H., where she lives. “I have many students who are still with dial-up or don’t even have a computer,” says the social studies teacher, who reads the New Hampshire Sunday News.
Seagate Technology
(STX, $16.40):
This disc-drive producer is poised to do well because the recent floods in Thailand halted production in its biggest competitor’s factories, says attorney Alan Gerber of Linwood, N.J., who reads Sunday Journal on WSJ.com.
Target (TGT, $51.22)
: Leanne Guido of Herndon, Va., says a new credit card and website will help the retailer do well in coming months. Plus, it has a pleasant ambiance, adds the database manager, who reads the Washington Examiner.
Kristina Barnaby’s sixth-grade class at Fairfield Country Day School in Fairfield, Conn., picked athletic-apparel maker Under Armour (UA, $71.79) because they think the company will gain market share in both the U.S. and abroad. The class is an unofficial participant in the contest.
And the Dart Picks…
The darts hit transportation provider CSX (CSX, $21.06), sporting-goods retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS, $36.88), electronics company Jabil Circuit (JBL, $19.66), health-care supplier Perrigo (PRGO, $97.30), retailer Ralph Lauren (RL, $138.08) and Royal Bank of Canada (RY, $50.96).