What makes any website tick? Its readers, of course. Here are the 10 articles that were most popular among our readers over the past 12 months:
#10: 5 growth shares I'd buy with $50,000 today
Fool.com.au editor Tom Richardson snagged 10th place with this article on five companies trading near 52-week highs that have good growth prospects. Industry titans Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) and SEEK Limited (ASX: SEK) featured prominently, while exciting small-caps like Catapult Group International Ltd (ASX: CAT) rounded out the other three.
#9: CRASH: Why the Bellamy's Australia Ltd share price just plunged 43%
Long-serving contributor Owen Raszkiewicz returned from hiatus with a bang, with this piece on the plunge of Bellamy's Australia Ltd (ASX: BAL) earlier in December. Despite only being published on the 2nd of December, the article catapulted into the top 10. With Bellamy's still suspended from trade, I suspect Owen's article will remain popular well into January.
#8: Why I think you should sell your Telstra Corporation Ltd shares
Contributor Tim McArthur wrote about Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS), arguing the apparent decline of the quality of its businesses made it a sell. Tim also pointed out that Telstra's stretched payout ratio would limit future dividend growth and even place the payment at risk of being cut.
#7: Why the Woolworths Limited share price could hit $30 in quick time
Foolish analyst Mike King wrote this one about comments on Woolworths Limited (ASX: WOW) made in Fairfax media. At least one market commentator thinks the Woolworths turnaround could be quicker than expected, which could send the company back to $30 in short order.
#6: Here's why these ASX-listed lithium miners are soaring
Another popular piece by Mike King, writing about rising share prices of Australian lithium miners. Lithium prices have tripled in the past year or so, and many ASX-listed miners are up more than 1,000%. Mike points out that there are many unknowns to investing in these speculative companies, and that Australia faces significant competition from countries with larger lithium reserves. The coming boom in production could also cause prices to plunge, potentially making many miners unprofitable.
#5: 2 cannabis stocks that could smoke the ASX
The second piece by editor Tom Richardson to make the list, this time about the number of cannabis stocks that are listing or about to list. Although the story is not as 'sexy' as Mike's lithium miners above, there is still a considerable amount of reader interest in cannabis companies, which Tom argues are not investment grade.
#4: Crash: Why the TPG Telecom Ltd share price is cratering today
This one was written by yours truly about TPG Telecom Ltd's (ASX: TPM) annual report back in September. Shares fell 30% at the time, and are down 41% since July on the news that TPG's growth had slowed and competition was heating up. Poor customer ratings, higher capital expenditure, and mediocre organic growth were not well received by the market and TPG is down from $12 to $6.80.
#3: 4 shares under $1 with huge potential
A cracking article by contributor Christopher Georges about four exciting small-caps that are trading for less than $1 a share. Wine, information technology, mobile payments, and sleep diagnostics; most readers won't have heard of these four small caps, which makes the popularity of this article all the more remarkable.
#2: Have a spare $5000? Consider buying these 4 shares
Another electronic page-turner by Christopher Georges, this time with a mixture of larger companies with attractive tailwinds, and smaller businesses focusing on disruption. Again, none of the four companies are traditional reader favourites like Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), making this article well worth a read.
#1: 4 shares I'll buy if Donald Trump becomes President of the United States
Contributor Alan Edmunds' article was a calculated gamble that paid off spectacularly. Not only did he garner traffic in the lead-up to Trump's (seemingly improbable) election, it was a double-whammy when Trump actually won and readers came back wondering "what should I do now?!" Alan's answer was 'buy large cap stocks like CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) and Cochlear', which could easily become undervalued following a Trump election.
Here's hoping everyone is enjoying the holiday period, and a special thanks to all fool.com.au readers over the past 12 months, especially those that took the time to share their thoughts with us via email or on social media.
