We Have a Winner for Our Stock-Picking Contest!

Physician’s Money Digest’s first “Diagnose the Dow!” stock-picking contest is over!

Thanks to the 500 physicians and healthcare professionals who participated in the contest, and who each had the opportunity to invest $100,000 in virtual funds in the healthcare stocks of their choice over the course of the 10-week contest.

It was a tough couple of months for healthcare stocks in general, with the sector as a whole posting a loss of 2.87% over the 10 weeks. That compared with a 2.77% gain over the same period for the S&P 500. Still, a handful of contest participants managed to log solid gains with their healthcare stock picks.

Congratulations to our winner, Josef Mueksch, an anesthesiologist from Leland, N.C., who crushed the competition -- and the market -- with his game-winning gain of 20.98%. Mueksch will receive an Apple iPad for taking first place.

“I enjoy the website and thoroughly enjoyed the contest,” Mr. Mueksch said. “I look forward to the articles and plan to continue getting enjoyment out of the site.”

Our second-place and third-place entrants were nearly neck-in-neck as the contest neared its close. Second-place winner “BruceHagmann” logged an impressive gain of 9.69% over the 10-week period, while “jim30082” came in third with a gain of 9.44%.

Congratulations and thanks to all contestants who played! Keep an eye out on Physician’s Money Digest for another fun stock-picking contest in Spring 2011.