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Welcome to my Ultimate Growth Stocks newsletter. Here's how I do things:

I'm a top-down investor, meaning that I let price and volume in the major stock indices tell me when to be in the market and when to be out of market. I always try to swim with the market tide, focusing my buys when institutional investors are putting money to work, and taking profits when I start to see signs of unequivocal institutional selling in the major averages.

Sometimes, my model portfolio will be heavily invested; other times it will favor cash. I am on offense during market uptrends and play defense during downtrends. Preservation of capital is important to me.

I use a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to tell me when to buy a stock, and I use technical analysis alone to tell me when to sell. I will generally take profits or cut losses short when I start to see a stock fall repeatedly in heavy volume.

I target small, mid- and large-cap firms with strong fundamentals and bullish charts. I focus on leading price performers in an industry group; not lagging price performers.

I identify firms showing strong bottom-line and top-line growth in recent quarters that are in the early stages of growth. I generally avoid larger, more mature companies whose best years of growth are behind them.

I don't average down in stocks. If the market tells me I'm wrong on a trade, I cut losses short and move on. Rest assured, I will never let a small loss spiral out of control. I don't throw good money after bad. Small losses can easily be overcome. It's the big ones that can do lasting damage.

When I initiate a position, I always start small. If the market tells me I'm right and the stock starts to head higher, I will look to average up in the position at the appropriate time.

I'm not afraid to buy high-multiple stocks, but only if the fundamentals and technicals align. Big profits can be made in aggressive growth names but only if they are bought at the right time. I avoid high-multiple stocks that are extended in price after a lengthy run-up. I will not chase them.

Finally, some of my buys will be ill-timed and I will have to cut losses short soon after buying. It may happen two or three times in a row. And there will be times when I sell a stock and it starts to head higher almost immediately. Frustrating, yes, but it is part of the game.

When all is said and done, I have an extremely disciplined approach to investing. My approach eliminates emotion from the equation. It's something that most investors aren't good at it, but it's an approach that I've used over the past 15 years that's allowed me to maximize profit and minimize losses.

-Ken Shreve