How To Gauge A Stock's Industry Strength Quickly.(THE IBD 100)(INSIDE THE 100)

Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG

Let's face it. People are busy.

Those who invest in growth stocks must wedge yet another regular task into their tight schedules. Unlike simply holding a good mutual fund for years and years, a stock investor must focus on what to buy, when to buy, when to hold and when to sell. He or she must do all of these right.

So how can someone find solid stock candidates in a limited amount of time? That was the question IBD faced as it worked on ways to enhance the IBD 100 feature. The weekly chart for each stock is a product of that work.

The first two lines of data on each chart give you, at a glance, key data regarding fundamentals and technicals. On the first boldfaced line you'll find "Grp" followed by a number. This refers to the Industry Group ranking, which covers six months of relative price performance among 197 IBD industries.

A No. 1 ranking is the highest, a 197 is the lowest. Prefer those with a Group Ranking within the top 40. By doing so, you're focusing on the industry groups that are leading the market. For instance, Quality Systems is part of the Computer Software-Medical industry group, which was ranked 11th as of Friday. Also keep an eye on industry groups that rise quickly up the ranks. Use the Industry Groups Table (today on B8) to spot these sudden moves.

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