For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.
"Fidelity China Region (NASDAQ: FHKCX) is my top speculative idea for 2008," says Jim Lowell, mutual fund expert and editor of The Fidelity Investor.
"With regard to China Region, caution will likely always remain my buy word. But, for the first time since this fund's inception back in 1995, this fund is beginning to exhibit characteristics of both the region (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia that account for 55% of its assets) and China (which now accounts for over 30% of the names in the portfolio -- a year ago that weighting was 6%; in March of this year it was 7%).
"New manager, Wilson Wong, who took the helm in June of this year, is finally enabling this fund to both live up to its name and differentiate itself from Fidelity's and other Asia-focused funds. That's plus one in my book.
"Plus two, is that China's economic growth rate and pace continue to plow ahead while the regulators continue to exhibit a modicum of restraint (raising reserve requirements and lending rates successive times to manage a heated economy).
"Are their known risks in China? Enough to make a Chinese crow blush. Are the opportunities down the Dunhuang? A world of them. Still, I'd suggest this fund is most suitable for aggressive global investors and for growth investors only in very small doses (not to exceed 5%)."
US survey on the recession says...
Collectible Investments: U.S. auto stock certificates
Closing Bell: After 9 in a row, can tech make a 10 day run? (CSCO, CIT, HAS, HGSI, LVS)
