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.

"My top conservative idea for 2008 is Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO)," says Rusty Szurek with Next Inning.

"While the phrase has definitely lost some of its cache, the simple fact remains, 'video changes everything' and for Cisco, that's doubly true. Cisco stands to benefit from the explosive growth we're seeing today in IPTV and internet video.

"The firm will not only benefit from the specialized video equipment it obtained in its acquisition of Scientific Atlanta, but also by the higher traffic demands video places on both the internet as a whole and on business and home networks -- all markets where Cisco is far and away the world market share leader.

"Some might say that Cisco's push into dedicated video products, which range from service provider equipment to home set-top boxes to its TelePresence initiative that is visible in virtually every major corporation in the world today, is like the salty pretzels served free at your local bar.