My economics class has a stock market project that will last until early June. Who can help me?

Here are the details: Each group will have 10 thousand dollars, we can invest on 10 companies, we are expected to buy and sell within the class, the group with the most profit wins something. Will someone please advice me on some stable companies to invest on? Also, on Tuesday, before we begin, we are asked to submit 20 possible companies. So, really, I need the top 20. Please tell me why it is a good investment because I have to explain it to the group. Please don't tell me to do my own research because the class just started and we are already expected to start the project soon. By the time I learn, I have already been pushed to "invest". Are these companies safe to invest on: Starbucks, Exxon, Apple, Nordstrom, Macintosh, Microsoft, Walgreens, amd Motorola??? I know this is lengthy, but I really do need some help.

Buy low and sell high.

buy low, sell high. short high, cover low.

Anyway watch mad money. Jim Cramer used to be a wall street trader so he knows what he's talking about.

Starbucks=yes
Exxon=yes
Apple=yes
Nordstrom=no
Macintosh=it's a division of Apple.
Microsoft=yes
Walgreens=no
Motorola=maybe.

Generally stay with companies that actually PRODUCE something. Resellers and service providers don't do too well during a not bull market. one of the only exceptions being Google.

First of all, 180 days is the minimum requirement to be called investing. Under that limit, it's trading. Then you are looking at companies, although commodities, options and ETFs will not fall under your project, even though ETFs covering Europe, corn and shorting housing and loan companies (and probably most anything else) will probably give you the best returns in that time. You should also be looking at 5 or 6 companies, since 10 is considered too many.


Look through these companies:
http://screen.finance.yahoo.com/b?sc=&im...

Then go here:
http://quotes.barchart.com/texpert.asp?s...

Where I have CHK on the upper left replace it with the ticker symbol name of the above companies. Use the short term and medium term indicators. Tell them you used technicals (here called Indicators).

You can also go through this list and pick the top 20:
http://www2.barchart.com/sigtop.asp?sort...

Since you are trading and "going for broke", the real object is in your senerio is going for "home runs" and not playing it safe. This is not how you should do it in the real world. Also ask if you are allowed to use stop orders.
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/stop...

So for instance you place a stop order on a $20 stock where you want to sell at $21 or $19.50. If either of these things happen, it will automatically sell preventing bigger losses then what you want (you are basically dictating your risk) or lock in gains when you think is going to be the top or near the top before the price goes down. Stop orders are not triggered by the opening price through.

well i just finished this project and i had to pick 6 and 5 of mine went up, toyota, whirlpool, coke, disney, and hershey, and pepsi went down a little bit but it might go back up.