Ford Motor Company (F), Intel Corporation (INTC), Chevron Corporation (CVX): The Basic Needs Portfolio

Finally, don’t ignore a study out last week by the Kaiser Family Foundation with regard to Obamacare health premiums. Although you’ll find no mention of Select Medical Holdings Corporation (NYSE:SEM) or other hospital operators mention in its study, KFF’s 18 state/region study noted that 15 of the 18 regions are showing health insurance premiums that are below the Congressional Budget Office’s expectations. The good news for Select Medical is that if premiums are indeed lower than expected, it might entice more people to sign up for health insurance than initially expected. Premium costs have been the number one factor keeping consumers on the sidelines, so this study could turn into a positive for Select Medical Holdings Corporation (NYSE:SEM) and other acute care facility operators.

Back to basics

Although the portfolio gained a few pennies this week, it certainly wasn’t anything to write home about relative to the S&P 500’s four-for-four performance in the Labor Day-shortened week. Ultimately, I didn’t build this portfolio to compete on a week-to-week basis but to outperform over the long run. With more dividend payments scheduled to hit our pocketbook next week and not a fundamental flaw visible in this portfolio, I see no reason not to trust these basic needs stocks over the long-term.

Check back next week for the latest update on this portfolio and its 10 components.

The article The Basic Needs Portfolio originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Sean Williams.

Fool contributor Sean Williams has no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen name TMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle @TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool owns shares of, and recommends Ford, Intel, MasterCard, and Waste Management. It also recommends Chevron and Procter & Gamble.

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