Jan 9, 1999. The key to successful investing - choosing stocks that meet your individual investment needs. It is not an altogether simple task, as any professional analyst, portfolio manager, or investment adviser will tell you. However, in the case of common stocks, understanding a few basic characteristics can be beneficial in helping you make your investment decisions.

First, you should know that the two most important aspects of a common stock's value are quality and earnings. For bonds, determining the quality is most important. But a common stock is usually graded on the basis of the corporation's historic earnings performance as well as its future earnings outlook. Has it shown healthy growth and will it in the years ahead? The stock's performance in the market is an important criterion, too. Does its price tend to remain relatively stable or does it tend to be volatile? Take a look at my Top Picks for 1999.

George