Why My System Didn’t Pick Tesla… but Dug Up 1,115% Gains in Amazon

Why My System Didn’t Pick Tesla… but Dug Up 1,115% Gains in Amazon

Source: shutterstock.com/Lemonsoup14

Hello, Reader.

In 1984, one of Gary Larson’s Far Side cartoons pictured two cavemen. One hoisted up the feet of the other, who was lying face-down in the dirt.

The caption read…

“Barrow”—precursor to the game of “wheelbarrow.”

The gag is that predating the invention of wheel, humans had to “play” wheelbarrow without the rolling tool.

Now well-equipped with the revolutionary device, we can laugh at these poor cartoon cavemen, our faces squeaky clean and our lives streamlined by tools.

Tools, like the wheel, have long given us humans unique advantages for success. They work as physical extensions of the human body.

And now, thanks to technological advancements like AI, tools can work as an extension of the human mind, too.

And I’ve been working on a project over the last five years to add the “wheel” to my investing “barrow,” so to speak.

Let me explain…

My strategy has always been big picture. The technical term is “global macro investing.”

I’ve always started the process by looking at worldwide financial phenomena. That’s the global.

Next, I’m looking for major macroeconomic trends that create unique investment opportunities. That’s the macro. Only then do I drill down to find the stocks poised to ride those trends.

Generally, you can find opportunities buried inside any major global trend. AI, for example, can push a stock higher for years.

So, you can think of my global macro investing approach as the foundational “barrow.”

But now, thanks to advancements in computing technology, I have added the “wheel” part to the equation.

My new system – Apogee – has discovered all the factors behind my 41 1,000%-plus gainers and turned that into a computerized “wheel.” It finds stocks when they are furthest away their true potential, and gives a buy signal as they are moving toward that potential.

It makes for a less humorous comic, but an even more successful investment strategy.

Today, I’d like to share why it selectively identifies certain winners – like Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) – while bypassing other big names… like Tesla Inc. (TSLA).

Let’s dive in…

Racking Up the Gains

First, I’d like to share how my macro-investing approach works in action.

In February 2023, when AI was the newest megatrend to burst onto the scene, I recommended Amazon to my Fry’s Investment Report subscribers.

I said in my initial recommendation…

To be honest, I never imagined recommending such a high-profile stock. But I’m making a rare exception because I believe the AI investment opportunity is exceptionally large and that these companies will be among the earliest major beneficiaries…

For many of us, these giant companies and their trillion-dollar valuations seem like grand monuments to past achievements – not cutting-edge investment opportunities.

AI is demolishing that narrative. It is creating an entirely new foundation for explosive growth at companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet.

These big tech names are perfectly positioned to capitalize on the early phases of our new AI boom. That’s because when it comes to creating and deploying AI technologies, bigger is often better…

In effect, the Big Tech companies are AI. They have the money and the muscle to create valuable AI solutions and then apply those solutions to spectacular commercial effect – i.e., make boatloads of money.

And I was correct.

About 17 months after my initial recommendation, I sold half of the stock for a partial gain of 115%. By comparison, the S&P 500 index had gained just 41% in the same time period.

A few months later, as Big Tech started the monstrously expensive investment of sowing a new crop of data centers, AI infrastructure, and services, I recommended exiting the remaining one-half position of Amazon for a 100% gain.

In all, my subscribers had the opportunity to book triple-digit gains on Amazon – twice.

But what’s better than a triple-digit gain?

A 10X one.

And that’s exactly what my Apogee system detected…

To train my system, I ran 5.2 million backtests, dating back 30 years, on approximately 14,000 stocks.

And in those backtests, Apogee flagged Amazon.

This is because my system uses a host of proprietary indicators to unearth 10X opportunities. To put it simply, I call these indicators my 10X Pattern.

Here’s a short summary of how it works…

  1. First, the company is “down a lot.” That means the stock needs to have fallen from its highs by at least 40%.
  2. Then, a period of stabilization that eventually produces an “up a little” move…
  3. And that triggers my system’s rare buy signal. This is when the big moves can arrive.

And Amazon checked all of the boxes.

First, it had crashed nearly 90% after the early-2000s “dot com” bust. Factor #1, check.

But its revenues had also shot up 26% over the prior 12-month period, putting its revenue growth in a “sweet spot.” Factor #2, check.

My system then ran Amazon through the rest of its proprietary indicators. It confirmed that Amazon had entered the 10X pattern and triggered a buy signal.

Factor #3, check.

Here’s what happened next…

A 1,115% gain.

Now, my triple-digit gains on Amazon were sizable, but Apogee’s pick delivered about 1,000% more than that.

And it didn’t just flag Amazon. It generated 1,871% on Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)… 1,551% on Cadence Design Systems Inc. (CDNS)… and 4,285% on Apple Inc. (AAPL) during extensive back-tests.

However, Apogee is not designed to pick up every single company that does well.

Instead, it’s designed to pick up a company at its most optimal point.

Here’s what that means…

Why Apogee Avoided Tesla

It identifies stocks with massive potential and relatively small downside risk. That is why it recommended Amazon only after the stock had tanked, and then passed my 10X pattern.

That means that some big winners – like Teslafor example – don’t make the cut. Among my other 10X factors, it has not fallen 40% from its all-time high. So, my system did not flag Tesla.

Although the EV maker has fallen more than 40%, the company was never quite strong enough to warrant a significant investment. In fact, Tesla was fairly close to bankruptcy several times – a risk I find unacceptable in my recommendations to subscribers.

In December 2008, Tesla only made payroll after Daimler injected $50 million into the ailing firm. In 2013, it was operating with “maybe one to two weeks of money.” And in 2017, the mismanaged ramp-up of the Model 3 meant the company was burning through $7,430 per minute.

This discernment is a key feature of Apogee, not a bug. Companies like Tesla are exceedingly rare, and I’m not interested in making longshot bets that don’t pan out 99% of the time.

And it also why the next pick that comes out of this system could be the next Amazon… the next Nvidia… … or the next Apple.

I’m unveiling this system for the first time ever at my 10X Breakthrough broadcast on September 10, at 10 a.m. ET. You can reserve your spot for that free event by going here.

During that broadcast, I’ll show how I use those five 10X Factors to spot potential big long-term winners in advance.

I will also reveal five of the system’s first “official” recommendations – including their names, ticker symbols, and when they flashed “Buy” in my new system – during my 10X Breakthrough event, for free.

One of these picks is an obscure robotics play that could very well be on its way to becoming the next Nvidia.

So, you won’t want to miss out on this event.

You can click here to reserve your spot for this special event now.

Regards,

Eric Fry


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/smartmoney/2025/09/system-didnt-pick-tesla-1115-gains-amazon/.

©2025 InvestorPlace Media, LLC