The news of William O’Neil’s passing on May 28, 2023 stirred memories of my early ventures into the world of momentum (aka Momo) investing. O’Neil was an American investor, entrepreneur, and author (“How to Make Money in Stocks” and “24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success”). He was the founder of Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) in 1984 and the creator of the CANSLIM investment strategy. (more on that later)

When thinking about his significant contributions to the field of stock market analysis and investment strategies, I found myself in a nostalgic headspace back to the days when I obsessively began tracking stocks attaining new 52-week highs, armed with nothing more than a pen, paper, and the Wall Street Journal/Baron’s.