A list of recommended stocks published by an investment firm's research department. Focus lists generally consist of a small number of stocks that the firm believes are the most attractive opportunities at the time. Taobiz explains Focus List In essence, a focus list is a virtual portfolio that research departments use to battle it out against other firms for bragging rights in stock picking. Focus lists are also great marketing tools. Much like with mutual funds, you'll often hear about the lists with strong performance (like portfolios that outperform a specific index), but never about those that had a bad year.