This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.
"Gold has outperformed nearly all other investments over the past few years," says Mary Anne Aden in The Aden Forecast. Here, the resource expert looks at her favorite play in the sector.
"It appears as though this trend for gold's outperformance will continue in the years ahead. Why?
"According to Bloomberg, the total amount of money provided by the U.S. government to rescue the financial system over the past year and a half has been $7.4 trillion.
"That amounts to $24,000 for every man, woman, and child, and it's totally unprecedented. All of this money will eventually fuel inflation and gold is the number one inflation hedge.
"Currently, President-elect Obama and his team are busy working on how to get the economy moving again. This is their top priority and one plan involves the largest infrastructure investment since the 1950s when all of the super highways were built. This will provide jobs and it'll hopefully help spur the economy.
"Other countries are planning to do the same. China, for instance, already has two huge stimulus packages in the works, focused on infrastructure building. They're determined to keep their economy strong, which will help Asia. And all of these global projects will keep upward pressure on commodity prices too.
"That's why my favorite investment pick for 2009 is gold. The exchange-traded fund for gold, the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) is the easiest way to invest in this sector and would be my top investment selection for 2009."
Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers a daily look at the latest market commentary and favorite stock picks and investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.
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