Good evening investors!

Every month we publish our “Portfolio Update” — Edge+ members get a full access look into our portfolios, including holdings, performance, activity and our watchlists for the upcoming month.

Let’s dive in.

Portfolio Update - Mark

For those new here, IE+ subscribers get full access to my monthly dividend portfolio updates, which includes:

• Portfolio Snapshot

• Portfolio Performance

• Stock Purchases

• Stock Sells

• Watchlist

*Note - this is the ONLY place where people can find our entire portfolios.

Portfolio Snapshot

As of the end of January 2025, my portfolio contained 54 total positions, which is 2 more than last month, but there were still quite a few changes that took place as we rebalanced for 2025.

You can see all the portfolio activity down below, but first, here is a snapshot of my entire portfolio:

Portfolio Performance

In this section, I will highlight the performance of the portfolio both on a MONTHLY and Year-To-Date basis.

For comparison, here is how the benchmark S&P 500 did during those same time frames:

And here is how the equal weighted S&P 500 performed:

Off to a good start for the portfolio, outpacing both the S&P 500 and Equal Weight S&P 500 to start the year in January. We made some timely buys and sells during the month that assisted in the strong performance. For starters, we sold Apple early in the month and from there the stock fell 10%. We also purchased shares of Crowdstrike, which jumped 18% since our purchase.

Every year presents new challenges, and I like to make a few moves to reposition my portfolio. One area I am looking to increase exposure to is cybersecurity, which you will see buys for both ZS and CRWD in January.

Heading into February I do not have high expectations as it is historically one of the worst performing months of the year for the S&P 500. Valuations are still quite high and mega cap tech, outside of Meta, has seen some tough times.

I continue to be cautiously optimistic for 2025, but remain diversified and defensive to a degree. Right now I have a few positions that I took ownership from with options that I have open Covered Calls on, but will likely get called away in the coming weeks to free up some cash.

I will discuss the trades I made during January down below and we will discuss these in further detail during our Monthly Meeting which will take place this coming Saturday at 10am EST.

Stay tuned within our discord where Edge+ members get TRADE ALERTS, being notified of any changes I make to my portfolio in real time.

Monthly Activity

In this section, I detail out any transactions that were made within the portfolio during the month.

Portfolio Update - Chris

Every month, Investor’s Edge+ members get updates to my individual brokerage portfolio, which includes:

• Portfolio Snapshot

• Portfolio Performance

• Stock Purchases

• Stock Sells

• Watchlist

*Note - this update ONLY includes my brokerage portfolio. Retirement accounts, cryptocurrency, real estate and cash/cash equivalents outside of the brokerage are excluded from this update.

Portfolio Snapshot

As of the end of January 2025, my brokerage portfolio contained 58 total positions — 56 stock holdings and 2 options contract.

Here is a snapshot of my portfolio:

Portfolio Performance

In this section, I will highlight the performance of my portfolio in January as well as for the full year.

For comparison, here is how the benchmark S&P 500 did during those same time frames:

And here is how the equal weighted S&P 500 performed:

After a strong 2024 in which my portfolio gained +23.6%, narrowly beating the S&P 500’s +23.3% return and significantly outpacing the Equal Weight S&P 500’s +10.9%, the new year has started with promising momentum.

For January 2025, my portfolio posted a +2.63% gain. While this performance was ever so slightly behind the S&P 500’s +2.70%, it was notably stronger than December’s decline and demonstrated a continued ability to capture upside early in the year. However, the Equal Weight S&P 500 surged +3.40%, reflecting a broadening market rally favoring mid- and smaller-cap names.

Key contributors to this early-year performance included a mix of technology, energy, and dividend-growth stocks, reinforcing the portfolio’s balanced approach between growth and stability. Notable performers included:

• Tech holdings like Shopify, Meta, and Amazon, which continue to benefit from strong secular tailwinds.

• Energy stocks such as XOP (oil exploration) and Enbridge, which saw early-year strength amid geopolitical concerns.

• Dividend-focused names like SCHD and defensive plays like Procter & Gamble, which provide resilience in volatile conditions.

Looking back at 2024, my portfolio demonstrated a strong ability to manage risk, outperforming both benchmarks in a difficult December (-1.7% vs. -2.5% for the S&P 500 and -6.44% for the Equal Weight S&P 500). This resilience is crucial as markets remain volatile in early 2025, with interest rate expectations, earnings results, and macroeconomic conditions shaping investor sentiment.

With a disciplined approach, I expect continued success in capturing market upside while managing risk effectively. If 2024 proved anything, it’s that even a slim outperformance against the index translates to significant compounded gains over time. As always, the goal is to beat the benchmarks—whether by an inch or a mile.

Here’s to another year of compounding, risk management, and disciplined investing. As always, DCA and chill.

Monthly Activity

In this section, I will go through the transactions that were made within the portfolio during the month.

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Closing Remarks

As I have already mentioned, every year brings new challenges especially in 2025 when we have a completely “new” administration that took office, which is looking to make sweeping economic changes. As such, it is important for investors to take a step back and access their portfolio and their exposures to see if they lineup with your plan for a new year.

As you saw in the portfolio activity, we made a few sizable positions to start the year and both had solid performances through the first month of the year.

Here at The Stock Investor’s Edge, we are laser focused on helping educate investors of all levels, while also giving them full transparency into our personal portfolios.

Although 2024 is in the books, we are looking forward to an awesome 2025 as our community continues to grow. Best of luck in 2025!

We will continue to look for new ideas in the market and bring you as much information as we can to give you an EDGE in the markets.

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And don’t forget to LEAVE A COMMENT. Let us know your thoughts on our portfolios, share your watchlist for the month or even just let us know that you appreciate the content.

Thank you, and until next time investors!

Mark & Chris

The Investor’s Edge

Disclaimer

This article is intended to be for educational and informational purposes only. The views described in the article are those of the author’s and should not be construed as financial advice. Perform your own due diligence or contact your Financial Advisor before making any financial investment. I have positions in all of the stocks & ETFs mentioned below as of the publish date. This is a disclosure - not a recommendation to buy or sell stocks.