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.

"Elbit Medical Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: EMITF) -- my top speculative idea for 2008 -- is about to change its name to Elbit Imaging, following shareholder approval," notes Vivian Lewis in her Global Investing Pro. Vivian was the top performer in last year's Best Stocks report, with her selection of DryShips rising nearly 400%.

"EMITF is a subsidiary of Europe Israel (M.M.S.) Ltd., which operates in the construction, operation, management and sale of shopping and entertainment centers in Israel, Central and Eastern Europe, and India.

"The company also owns hotels, primarily in major European cities, and manages and sells hotels through its Elscint Ltd. subsidiary.

"The company is also involved in investments in the research and development, production, and marketing of magnetic resonance imaging guided focused ultrasound treatment equipment, through its subsidiary InSightec Ltd.

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.

"Fear or war or nuclear conflagration is not the main reason for owning gold; rather, investors should buy gold to protect against inflation," explains Vivian Lewis, editor of Global Investing Pro, and the top stock picker in last year's Best Stocks report, with her selection of DryShips.

"This is not advice only for US investors. All central banks face a dilemma: On one hand, they can cut interest rates and print money to deflect subprime and credit crunch dangers while letting inflation rip. On the other, they can insist on discipline and inflation fighting, letting the economy's chips fall where they may.

"My top conservative investment idea for 2008 is StreetTracks Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD), which is an exchange-traded fund. In fact, the amount of gold held by StreetTracks now exceeds the gold reserves of China. It holds 602.37 tonnes of the yellow metal, whereas China only holds 600 tonnes. (A tonne is a metric measure equal to about 3,520 ounces.)

"US investors can also consider iShares Comex Gold (ASE: IAU). Both are ETFs that own physical gold bullion. However, they track different gold market prices.

"GLD tracks the London fixing and Comex ETF tracks the Chicago commodity price. You can buy whichever one is cheaper at the moment you decide on going for the gold."

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.

"The most boring part of the stock market is foreign bank non-cumulative preferred stocks," explains Vivian Lewis, in her Global Investing Pro. (Incidentally, Vivian was the #1 performer in last year's Best Stocks report.)

"But there is money to be made if you can keep your eyes open and your wits about you. For nearly 20 years, since the vehicle was invented by Barclays plc, British (and Irish) banks have issued preferred stock in denominations attractive to yield-hungry US investors, $25 at issue.

"These preferred shares have an expiration date. They normally run for ten years, after which they may be called. (They are not always called at maturity, if the issuing bank doesn't want to repay the $25 and interest rates are close to the level at which the preferred was issued.)

"They sometimes can be called at a discount from the issue price before the ten years are up, although in a period when banks are capital-hungry this is unlikely.