For investors seeking a systematic, high-conviction stock selection strategy without the burden of deep-dive research, Alpha Picks is the perfect solution.
What Is Alpha Picks
Launched on July 1, 2022, Alpha Picks is a model portfolio developed by Seeking Alpha’s quantitative research team. It aims to outperform the S&P 500 through disciplined stock selection based on Seeking Alpha proprietary quant research capacity. According to official data, as of June 6, 2025, the portfolio’s cumulative return reached 172.33%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 index, which rose by 58.72% during the same period.* This performance represents an approximate 193% higher return compared to the S&P 500 index.
Each month, Alpha Picks recommends two U.S.-listed equities rated “Strong Buy” by the platform’s quant model. These selections are driven by a multi-factor approach that includes valuation, growth, profitability, momentum, and positive earnings revisions.
Subscribers also receive timely “Sell” alerts, transparent performance tracking, and exclusive access to webinars hosted by Seeking Alpha’s quantitative experts.
*Performance between 7/1/2022 and 6/6/2025. Past performance is no guarantee for future results.
**Note: Alpha Picks is a model portfolio, not a managed fund, and is not an audited GIPS compliant investment product.
The Architect: Steve Cress
Steve Cress, VP of Quantitative Strategy at Seeking Alpha, brings over three decades of experience. His background includes founding CressCap Investment Research and leading Morgan Stanley’s quantitative trading desk.
Alpha Picks Stock Selection Criteria
Alpha Picks use a data-driven process to identify qualified stocks.
It pick two ‘Strong Buy’ rated stocks per month, and each pick must meet the following criteria:
- ‘Strong Buy’ quant rating for at least 75 consecutive days
- A U.S. Common Stock (i.e. No ADRs)
- Is not a REIT
- Has a 3 month average market capitalization greater than $500M
- Has a stock price greater than $10
- Has not been recommended in the past 1 year.
As of June 10, 2025, the Alpha Picks portfolio consists of 35 unique stocks with open positions across various sectors, including Information Technology, Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, Financials, Communication Services, and Health Care. Among these, 12 stocks are rated 「Strong Buy」, 6 are rated 「Buy」, and 17 are rated 「Hold」.
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Does Alpha Picks Really Profitable?
Historical Performance & Calculation Methodology
According to official data, as of May 19, 2025, the portfolio’s cumulative return reached 172.33%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 index, which rose by 58.72% during the same period.* This performance represents an approximate 193% higher return compared to the S&P 500 index.
All returns are calculated by S&P Global using a time-weighted methodology aligned with Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS), which neutralizes the impact of external cash flows.
- Alpha Picks: Notional buys at each pick date’s opening price and sells at the sell date’s closing price, with dividends reinvested.
- S&P 500 Benchmark: Equal-dollar SPY purchases on each pick date’s opening price, with dividends reinvested.
*Performance between 7/1/2022 and 6/6/2025. Past performance is no guarantee for future results.
Backtesting the Current Portfolio
To independently evaluate the portfolio’s profitability, Invest101 has conducted a backtest using a representative sample of 15 stocks from the current Alpha Picks portfolio when we published this article.
The selection covered a range of sectors, ratings, selection dates, and return —similar to the representative sampling method used by ETFs to track the performance of an underlying index. The test period spanned from January 1, 2022, to May 20, 2025, with performance measured against the S&P 500 ETF (VOO) as the benchmark.
Below are the equity curve and test result summary.
Key Findings:
- As of May 20, 2025, a $10,000 investment in Alpha Picks in beginning would have grown to $55,508, compared to $13,107 for the same investment in VOO.
- This represents a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 65.14% for Alpha Picks, versus 8.24% for the benchmark.
- The maximum drawdown for Alpha Picks was 35.84%, with a recovery time of 8 months.
- In contrast, VOO experienced a maximum drawdown of 23.91%, requiring 15 months for recovery.
- The risk-adjusted return, measured by the Sharpe Ratio, was 1.34 for Alpha Picks versus 0.32 for VOO.
- Alpha Picks captured 273.91% of the benchmark’s upside, while only capturing 74.71% of the downside.
Users who subscribed to Alpha Picks via the Invest101 referral link at the bottom of this article can receive the full backtest report by filling out this [Google Form].
Closed Positions Analysis
Invest101 has also analyzed the 38 closed positions of the Alpha Picks portfolio from the trading perspective.
Key Findings:
- Win rate: 63.16% | Average return on winning trades: +107.81%
- Loss rate: 36.84% | Average return on losing trades: -24.86%
- Expected Value (EV): 59% | EV = (0.6316 × 107.81%) + (0.3684 × –24.86%) ≈ 59%
This positive expected return figure suggests that, based on historical trading record, the Alpha Picks portfolio is profitable in the long term.
Who Is Alpha Picks Suitable For
Alpha Picks is ideal for buy-and-hold investors who seek long-term capital appreciation. It focuses on companies with market capitalizations above $500 million, typically executing 2–3 trades per month, with the intention of holding each position for at least one year.
Here’s the remarks of Alpha Picks:
- It is designed for investors who prefer minimal trading activity.
- The portfolio is not intended to generate dividend income.
- It spans multiple sectors, offering diversified exposure rather than focusing on a single industry. This sector rotation approach helps capture the best opportunities across the market. For example, in March 2023, Alpha Picks added a homebuilder stock that gained 100% in the following quarter.
How Can Subscribers Get Value from Alpha Picks
Subscribers can take advantage of Alpha Picks in several ways:
- For general investors: Start by purchasing at least five ‘Strong Buy’ rated stocks from the existing Alpha Picks portfolio.
- For more experienced or sophisticated investors: Consider buying the entire portfolio to fully benefit from the strategy.
- Use Alpha Picks as an idea-generation tool: Read the in-depth analysis of each recommendation and select stocks that align with your own investment strategy.
- Stay informed: Receive timely alerts about new “Strong Buy” stock recommendations.
- Learn from the strategy: Gain insights into investment principles and portfolio management techniques employed by Alpha Picks.
Considerations When Using Alpha Picks
Invest101 recommends investors to keep the following points in mind when using Alpha Picks:
- The stocks recommended by Alpha Picks are intended for medium- to long-term investment, rather than short-term trading
- While Alpha Picks focuses primarily on fundamental analysis, investors may choose to incorporate technical analysis to complement their decision-making
- When constructing your own investment portfolio, consider diversifying across various industries to reduce the risk of overexposure to a single sector.
- All investment decisions, including when to buy or sell, should be guided by your individual risk tolerance and financial goals.
How Much Does It Cost
The annual subscription fee for Alpha Picks is USD $449, Alpha Premium is USD $299 and Alpha PRO is USD $2400.
Invest101 x Seeking Alpha 20% OFF Discount (Limited-Time Offer)
Seeking Alpha is offering an exciting opportunity for investors from June 11 to July 4, 2025: subscribe to Alpha Picks and other products through Invest101 will enjoy a 20% discount, saving up to $160 USD, and receive an exclusive research report. As part of this promotion, subscribers can join a live webinar on June 17, 2025, hosted by Seeking Alpha’s quantitative team and featuring Steven Cress and guest speakers, focusing on quant-backed top stock picks and investment strategies for the second half of 2025. Additionally, a paywalled article detailing Steve’s H2 Stock Picks will be published on June 18, 2025, offering further insights for subscribers.
Alpha Picks – $399/year ($499 save $100)
Subscribe Alpha Picks via Invest101 and receive an instant $100 discount. Plus Invest101’s Alpha Picks Backtest Report as an additional perk.
Alpha Premium – $239/year + 7-day free trial ($299 save $60)
Subscribe Alpha Premium via Invest101 can enjoy the 7 days free trial and an instant $60 discount.
Bundle – $638/year ($798 save $160)
Enroll in both Alpha Picks and Seeking Alpha Premium to enjoy a bundle discount of $160 off the combined original price. Plus Invest101’s Alpha Picks Backtest Report as an additional perk.
Seeking Alpha Background
Seeking Alpha, founded in 2004 by the former Morgan Stanley analyst – David Jackson, is a leading global investment community platform. It attracts 20 million monthly visitors and over 2.6 million subscribers with its daily publication of 400 unique articles and news updates, and over 5,000 analytical articles. The platform features content from over 18,000 contributors, generating 200,000 comments monthly on articles. Kiplinger named it the “most informative website,” and Forbes awarded it “Best of the Web”.
Core Strengths:
Seeking Alpha’s core strengths lie in its diverse global investor perspectives, professional-grade investment tools like Quant Ratings and Factor Grades, an efficient content review mechanism by a professional editorial team, and an active community with over 7,000 monthly articles and earnings call transcripts.
Product Offerings:
- Seeking Alpha Premium: Provides investment ideas, portfolio stock evaluation, analyses, news, screeners, and ratings.
- Seeking Alpha PRO: Offers curated top-tier ideas and research for those managing significant portfolios.
- Seeking Alpha Investing Groups: Connects users with top experts for exclusive real-time investment ideas and community discussions.
- Alpha Picks: Delivers two top stock picks monthly, selected using robust quantitative analysis evaluating over 100 metrics. Subscribers are also alerted to “Sell” rating changes.
User Tiers:
Seeking Alpha offers three user tiers:
- Basic: Limited access to analysis, portfolio tracking, and live stock prices.
- Premium: Unlimited expert content, Quant Ratings, stock/ETF screeners, and portfolio health checks. Standard renewal is $299/year.
- Pro: Insights from top analysts, exclusive coverage on stocks not followed by Wall Street, rating changes, and short ideas. Typically $2,400/year after an initial offer.
Seeking Alpha’s Quant Ratings and “Strong Buy” recommendations have shown strong performance. An illustrative $10,000 investment in “Strong Buy” recommendations (Top Quant Rating Performance) from 2010-2024 could have yielded over $258,149, compared to the S&P 500’s $52,486. Alpha Picks returned +142.19% from July 1, 2022, to May 6, 2025, versus the S&P 500’s +48.02%. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
FAQ
Q: Does Seeking Alpha have a mobile app?
A: Yes, Seeking Alpha has a mobile app available for both iOS and Android devices.
Q: Is Seeking Alpha free to use?
A: Users can create a free Basic account, which offers limited access to articles and market insights.
Q: What is Seeking Alpha Premium?
A: Seeking Alpha Premium is a paid subscription service that provides unlimited access to in-depth analysis, market news, and proprietary Quant Ratings on every stock—ratings that have historically outperformed the S&P 500.
| Disclaimer Part of the content in this article is advertising in nature and should not be considered an invitation, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell any investment product, nor should it form the basis of any investment decision. It should also not be interpreted as professional financial advice. Investing involves risks. The opinions expressed on this website do not necessarily reflect the views of Seeking Alpha. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Asset prices can rise or fall. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved and seek professional advice before making any investment decisions. |
