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 favorite conservative choice for 2008 is Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER)," says Yola Edwards, editor of the technically oriented Yola Edward's Charts.

"The jobs market is holding up very well and the risk of recession in the United States appears unlikely given the Federal Reserve's accommodating monetary policy to stave off recessionary threats and contain the subprime fallout.

"Merrill Lynch suggests that year-end 2008 will be marked by a 2.50% Fed funds rate with further easing to 2% by the first half of 2009.

"Among those hardest hit in the subprime credit crisis was Merrill Lynch & Company, which plunged almost 50% from its January highs of $94 in what appears to be a fourth wave correction. Technically, the recent November weekly lows at $50.50 formed a tweezers bottom and offered the stock support from which it has rallied.

"At a minimum we could expect a 38.2 % rally from the lows suggesting a possible upside target to about $67.50 over the next month. However, over the next year we can anticipate the stock to rally 61.8%, from its recent low, to about $77.38 as it bases and works through the corrective phase."

"Like many, I'm concerned about global warming and my latest stock recommendation is a company that is actually trying to do something about it," notes Yola Edwards, a technical analyst with Internet Wealth Builder, in her review of E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Co. (NYSE:DD) --- which she calls a "pioneer in embracing its social responsibilities."

Edwards notes, "The company -- which offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets that include agriculture and food, building and construction, communications, and transportation -- exemplifies the fact that environmentally-friendly alternatives have their benefits for global preservation and contribute to a company's bottom line."

In the mid-1980s, she recalls, DuPont studied data which indicated that CFC refrigerants were destroying the Earth's protective ozone layer and company officials proceeded to create successful businesses by selling substitutes.

She explains, "In 1994, company officials committed to cutting gas emissions by 40% by the year 2000 from its 1990 levels. Meeting its 2000 target, DuPont went on to set a 65% reduction goal by 2010, but has already met that target and now uses 7% less energy than in 1990 despite producing 30% more goods.

"DuPont has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% since 1991, while realizing more than $3 billion through energy conservation. Additionally, DuPont has for the most part replaced natural gas with methane from landfills in its industrial boilers."

She also points to the company's involvement in a biomass program to produce a chemical from corn called Bio-PDO which, to quote a press release, "consumes 40% less energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 20% versus petroleum based PDO." The resulting emission reductions, she notes, can be viewed as the equivalent of removing 22,000 cars from the road. DuPont is also working with BP PLC to develop other forms of biofuel.

She adds, "In a further effort to reach its goal of generating 10% of its total energy needs from renewable resources by 2010, DuPont Canada is assessing turbines as a renewable energy source. Analysts say that the solar energy market is growing by about 30% per year and DuPont is there, supplying the industry with eight out of ten primary materials needed to manufacture photovoltaics modules which convert sunlight to electricity."

Importantly, she favors the stock not only because of its social responsibility, but because of its financial performance, She says, "DuPont's productivity improvements continue to add to the bottom line. Company officials announced recently that 2006 earnings grew 23% to $2.88 per share from the prior year and they expect 2007 earnings growth to continue with an earnings outlook of $3.15 per share."

Technically, she adds, over the past six years the stock has been range-bound with an average price of about $45 with $5 - $6 spikes on either side of that level. And while a technical pullback to $49 "may be in order", she suggests, the longer-term consolidation may be nearing an end and any pullback should be viewed as a buying opporutnity.

The technician notes, "Since September 2006, the stock's monthly chart indicates higher highs and higher lows, with progressively higher monthly closes. "Since March 2005, the stock has been forming a saucer bottom and a monthly close above $54 would indicate an upside breakout. Once the breakout occurs the pattern's technical measurement suggests a potential target of about $69.50 over the ensuing year."

Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com provides a free, daily overview of the latest stock ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletters.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

Sobey's (TSX:SBY), a grocery retailer and food distributor in Canada, is the top conservative buy for 2007 from Yola Edwards. The technical expert and editor of Yola's Charts notes, "The U.S. economy's measured expansion suggests that we are probably in late stage expansion.

"Although the popularity of organic and trendy, prepared, affluent specialty food stores have flourished as shoppers spend more on high-end merchandise, competition and a consumer spending slowdown could see a shift to more conventional supermarkets, such as Sobeys.

"The company operates or franchises stores in all ten provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, IGA extra, IGA, Foodland, and Price Chopper. The stock stock sports a 13.2 price to earnings ratio (P/E), certainly more attractive then 30 plus P/Es of high-end grocery retailers, but trading at a discount to conventional supermarkets.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

Pele Mountain Resources (CDNX: GEM) is the top speculative idea for 2007 from Yola Edwards -- for those speculators who are fully aware of the very high risks inherent in a low priced junior mining stock.

The editor of Yola's Charts says, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend, so the saying goes, but add to that, a mix of gold, uranium and base metals and you have a gem of a company. Pele Mountain Resources, which explores and develops in northern Ontario, is virtually unknown.

"Pele owns 100% of its Elliott Lake uranium project, which was abandoned years ago when falling uranium prices undermined the property's economic viability. However, global demand and limited supply is expected to support the resurgence of uranium prices.

"Technically, the stock has traced out a solid three-year saucer base from 2003-2006 and has recently broken out to the upside with several significant upside breakout points. The fifth primary wave advance, of the first wave of intermediate degree, should complete at about $1.70.

"But in my view, that's just the beginning. Future reports may confirmed the continuation of the mineralized zone within the Elliott Lake boundaries; if so, this stock would be grossly undervalued. Pele Mountain has 63.2 million shares outstanding and is debt free."

To see Yola's favorite conservative stock for 2007, click here.