Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge:  Trades of the Day

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Nearly 1.5 billion shares and over $16.8 billion traded yesterday in CNBC's Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge. The top currency trader has more than doubled his money making over $293,000 since currency trading began. Check out Sue Herrera's currency tips here and for daily currency analysis, go to Currency Updates.

Contest Widely Helds and Actives:

  • Among the top currency traders, the EUR/USD and JPY/USD pairs continue to be favored, though our leader in the top spot had taken a break in trading.
    • EUR/USD The euro could move lower against the dollar again tomorrow if there is a negative surprise with the German GDP and trade and account balance data due out at 2aET.
  • AUD/USD has also been actively traded amongst the currency leaders, and is in the top 10 most actively traded currencies in the contest as Australian Employment data comes out 9:30pET (Wed)
    • The AUD/USD pair has been trading at near 25-year highs over the past few weeks and strong employment data could keep the AUD/USD trading at record levels. The AUD/USD has retreated slightly over the last two weeks.
  • GBP/USD is the third most actively traded pair in the contest, and it could fall lower against the US dollar when the UK Trade Balance data comes out at 4:30aET. The data is expected to be bearish for the sterling, especially with increasing sentiment that the Bank of England may cut rates this year with reports that the UK economy is in serious trouble and that recession could be looming.

  • Ambac Financial was the most active stock in the contest by far with over 181M shares traded on Tuesday followed by Sirius at over 89M shares traded

  • Rite Aid falls out of the Most Actives, replaced by the airlines: US Airways (LCC), UAL (UAUA), and AMR (AMR)

  • Sirius Satellite Radio continues to hold the top spot in the Widely Helds with over 2.5B shares owned in the contest

  • Industrials continue to represent 35% of the top Widely Helds

Sample of Top Trades in the Leaderboard:

  • Ambac Financial if you bought on Monday before 4pET and held/sold on Tuesday, you made 52.52%
  • MGIC Investment if you bought on Monday before 4pET and held/sold on Tuesday, you made 29.31%
  • MBIA if you bought on Monday before 4pET and held/sold on Tuesday, you made 21.74%
  • Delta Air Lines if you bought on Monday before 4pET and held/sold on Tuesday, you made 19.67%
  • Helen of Troy if you bought on Monday before 4pET and held/sold on Tuesday, you made 15.55%

Sample of Losing Trades from the Leaderboard:

  • Goodrich Petroleum if you bought on Monday before 4pET and held/sold on Tuesday, you lost -8.17%

  • James River Coal if you bought on Monday before 4pET and held/sold on Tuesday, you lost -7.51%


Bets for Today (July 8th): Airlines reappear as purchases in the leaderboard

  • AMR

  • US Airways

  • Acergy

  • Celgene

  • Apple

  • NetLogic

  • Burlington Northern

  • PriceSmart

It's not too late to get started. You can still get in the game to win the grand prize or one of these great weekly prizes.
Click here to play.

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