It's all well and good to say a stock posting improving earnings is a good buy with upside potential. But how much upside? The truth is that picking stocks capable of dramatic gains -- potentially as much as doubling your money -- is much harder. That's because charts don't offer much information for big moves like this, and efficient market theory argues against such short-term performance.

But finding doublers, while difficult, is not impossible.

Today was all about after-the-fact growth. Friday's non-Farm payrolls growth was the best number in about 3 years for the labor market. Then came strong ISM data today on services. Even pending home sales came in better than expected. Oil went up to over $86.50 per barrel, the 10 year Treasury yield hit 4.0% and the DJIA came to within 15 points of 11,000. Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,973.55 +46.48 (0.43%)
S&P 500 1,187.43 +9.33 (0.79%)
Nasdaq 2,429.53 +26.95 (1.12%)

The markets just wanted to close higher today. A slight gain in the weekly jobless claims had no real impact and a really poor 30-Year Treasury auction that just hints at the demand for rates to rise had only a temporary effect against the stock market.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,406.66 +69.61 (0.67%)
S&P 500 1,102.35 +6.40 (0.58%)
Nasdaq 2,190.86 +7.13 (0.33%)

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Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) lower Q3 results still topped expectations and sent shares higher.
• Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) posted much better-than-expected Q4 earnings, the first profit in a year.
• AstraZeneca (AZN) received an analyst's downgrade due to concerns over its earnings prospects.
• Blackstone Group (BX) received an analyst's upgrade following the company's Q3 results.
• Blockbuster Inc. (BBI) widened its net loss in Q3 and revenue and same-stores sales declined.
• Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (CLNE) shares declined after its Q3 numbers fell short of expectations.
• Consolidated Water Co. Inc. (CWCO) earnings prospects for 2010 earned it an analyst upgrade.

Today was another trading day bare of major economic data. Shares were all over the place today with the indexes not giving any clear direction at any point of the day. It was not until right before the close that you had a real feel for whether we would close up or down today.

Here are the unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 9,874.31 -11.49 (-0.12%)
S&P 500 1,073.56 -2.63 (-0.24%)
Nasdaq 2,140.22 +1.08 (0.05%)

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Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) Q2 profit fell short of estimates as same-store sales declined.
• Ann Taylor Stores Corp. (NYSE: ANN) Q2 earnings beat very low expectations and same-store sales fell.
• Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) reported better-than-expected numbers for Q2, sending shares upward.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BKC) posted a better-than-expected Q4 profit though revenue declined.
• China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. posted a record Q2 profit after restrictions on fuel prices were lifted.
• Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) said its Q2 earnings declined, but they still topped analysts' expectations.

Energy Conversion Devices (NASDAQ: ENER) tumbled to a new 52-week low today as investors panned the company's earnings report. This morning, ENER confessed to a fourth-quarter loss of $15.8 million, or 37 cents per share, more than reversing its year-ago profit of 24 cents per share. Revenue for the period tumbled 38% to $51.4 million. Both figures fell short of analysts' consensus estimates, which called for a loss of 8 cents per share on $55 million in revenue.

"Demand for solar products in our target markets weakened further from the third quarter into the fourth quarter as commercial construction declined, building owners deferred reroofing projects and project financing constraints continued," explained Chief Executive Mark Morelli.

It's about that time again: Pepsi vs. Coke. No, not another taste test or another Battle of the Brands. It's time for the next quarterly results from these two soft drink titans.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters anticipate that PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP), global beverage and snack food giant, will report fourth-quarter earnings this week that are 9.1% higher that a year ago, or $0.88 per share. Revenue is expected to total $12.8 billion, which is 3.9% higher than last year. For the full year, the profit is expected to be $3.67 per share on revenue of $43.4 billion, up from $3.38 per share on $39.5 billion in 2007. PepsiCo's earnings met or beat estimates in four of the past five quarters, but missed by only two cents per share in the third quarter. The consensus recommendation of analysts remains to buy PEP. The share price fell to a 52-week low in January and is now 24.4% lower than it was a year ago. During the fourth quarter, PepsiCo declared a $0.42 per share quarterly dividend, agreed to acquire a Spitz International, and announced investments in China and Mexico.

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.

"For the best risk-adjusted results we're looking at corporate bonds," says BizRadio host Daniel Frishberg, whose favorite pick for 2009 is the Energy Conversion Devices 3% convertible bond due 6/15/2013.

In The MoneyMan Report, he suggests. "These securities -- which are convertible into shares of the solar power stock Energy Conversion Devices (NASDAQ: ENER) -- could generate a major score, since the company is right in the Obama sweet spot."

"We are following the government as it moves its market manipulation up the risk curve.

"We have seen the government first buying commercial paper and short term bonds to move the Fed Funds Rate, then moving investors up the ladder to long-term Treasuries, then on to agency and high-grade corporate bonds.

"Each time, these moves have produced stock-like capital gains for investors with the knowledge to participate in these markets.

If you were depressed about more than 500,000 jobs being destroyed and over a 6.7% unemployment number, it seems that technical trading buyers came in to your rescue today. Home delinquencies rose in every single market but that is expected by now. The late day rally came on strong and bailed out the bulls today. Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

DJIA 8,635.42 +259.18 (3.09%)
S&P 500 876.07 +30.85 (3.65%)
Nasdaq 1,509.31 +63.75 (4.41%)
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Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) is expected to win control over Merrill Lynch as today is the shareholder vote on the merger. Shares rose over 7% to $15.35 on the news.

Results for the tech stocks in last week's preview were a mixed bag, some beats, some misses, some in line. By and large, expectations for tech companies reporting results this week remain high, though. Here's what analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are anticipating in the way of earnings, as compared to the same period of the previous year.

• Solarfun Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: SOLF): $1.48 EPS (+73.0%) on sales of $1.3 billion (+171.0%)
• Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL): $0.21 EPS (+71.4%) on sales of $836.7 million (+27.4%)
• Solera Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SLH): $0.29 EPS (+51.7%) on sales of $137.0 million (+11.8%)
• Applied Signal Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: APSG): $0.14 EPS (+42.9%) on sales of $46.4 million (+17.4%)
• China Finance Online Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JRJC): $0.14 EPS (+42.6%) on sales of $13.3 million (+131.5%)
• OSI Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIS): $0.38 EPS (+36.8%) on sales of $162.0 million (+6.0%)
• LaBarge Inc. (AMEX: LB): $0.27 EPS (+33.3%) on sales of $71.6 million (+10.4%)
• Esterline Technologies Corp. (NYSE: ESL): $0.69 EPS (+11.6%) on sales of $374.6 million (+14.8%)
• Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL): $0.36 EPS (+11.1%) on sales of $15.9 billion (+7.8%)
• HEICO Corp. (NYSE: HEI): $0.46 EPS (+13.0%) on sales of $147.1 million (+10.5%)
• Daktronics Inc. (NASDAQ: DAKT): $0.17 EPS (flat) on sales of $141.5 million (+17.0%)
• Novell Inc. (NASDAQ: NOVL): $0.05 EPS (flat) on sales of $241.4 million (-0.7%)
• Omnivision Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI): $0.29 EPS (-17.1%) on sales of $172.5 million (-0.4%)
• Sigma Designs Inc. (NASDAQ: SIGM): $0.39 EPS (-18.8%) on sales of $58.7 million (+37.9%)

The choppy, consolidating (or perhaps worse) market conditions sometimes give the impression that growth plays do not exist, but that is not the case. One growth company worth reviewing is Energy Conversion Devices (NASDAQ: ENER) . (Please note at the outset that Energy Conversion Devices is only for investors who can tolerate high risk.)

Energy Conversion Devices invents, designs, develops and commercializes materials, products and production processes for the alternative energy generation, energy storage and information technology markets.

Analysts expect F2008 revenue to more than double, with solar capacity increasing to 148 megawatts by the end of F2008, and to 200 megawatts by the end of F2009.