My Stock of the Day: USNA

Josef Lakonishok is a legendary value strategist in the shadow of Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett, and his AAII screening criteria shows average annual total returns in double digits for the last 10 and 5 years (respectively 18.4% and 16.1%) and 12.1% in 2013 through April 30.

Lakonishok’s screening procedure is spelled out at AAII.com, and 21 stocks that pass them are identified.

USNA (USANA Health Sciences, Inc.) stands out from the others, with low price/earnings (11.2) and low price/sales (1.18).

My five-year performance chart for USNA shows an acceptable up trend, including an impressive rise from the beginning of 2013.

My three-month chart suggests a brief pullback in recent days may have run its course. We’ll see.

Never forget: All investments and savings are gambles on the unknown future and thus subject to loss.