"Edwards Lifesciences (EW) is a potential winner; based in Irvine, California, Edwards makes and sells replacement valves for advanced heart disease," says growth stock specialist Alexander Green.

The editor of The Oxford Club explains, "Edwards has a breakthrough product called SAPIEN, a transcatheter valve that allows doctors to replace a heart valve without open chest surgery.

"The traditional method of replacing heart valves requires a surgeon to cut through the chest, stop the heart, remove the valve and replace it.

"Everyone knows about China's outlandish growth in exports. That's no secret. But, almost totally under the radar, China is transforming itself from a world-class exporter into one of the world's biggest importers," says Alexander Green.

The editor of The Oxford Communique explains, "Indeed, we think China is presenting the biggest opportunity on the planet -- and we recommend the FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index Fund (FXI), which gives you a stake in 25 of China's very best blue-chip stocks Below, we review the fund and 14 reasons to remain bullish on the Chinese stock market.

This post is part of a special report, Top Picks for 2010, the 27th annual survey in which TheStockAdvisors.com asks the nation's leading advisors for their single favorite stock for the new year. See all 80 stocks listed here.

"When extreme valuations are accompanied by unbridled optimism or abject pessimism, it virtually always marks a turning point -- and an opportunity; and this is no exception," says Alex Green, referring to the U.S. dollar.

Here, the senior investment advisor to The Oxford Club and Investment U looks to PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bullish ETF (UUP) as a favorite idea for the coming year.

Two of the newsletter industry's leading growth stock advisors remain bullish on the prospects of online retailer Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), based on growth in not only online retailing but new market areas ranging from the Kindle e-reader to cloud computing.

Mike Cintolo, editor of The Cabot Top Ten Report, explains, "Amazon.com recently blew away earnings expectations." Meanwhile, Alexander Green, investment director at The Oxford Club, says, "In our view, the best lies ahead for the company." Here are their reviews.

Mike Cintolo continues, "Amazon announced that its Kindle e-book reader is now its most popular selling item, both in units and in dollars. That led to a big acceleration in revenue growth (28%, the fastest in five quarters), while earnings leaped 67%.

"Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD), one of the world's largest biotechs, is a stock for all seasons," say growth expert Alexander Green.

The investment director for The Oxford Club explains, "It's a fine company with a solid balance sheet, a recession-proof business and excellent growth prospects."

"Gilead focuses on three main areas, including cardiovascular conditions and respiratory diseases. (Many may have taken its anti-influenza drug Tamiflu, Letairis to treat hypertension, or Macugen to treat macular degeneration.)

"Playboy Enterprises (NYSE: PLA) is a speculative stock, with plenty of potential but also downside risk," suggests Alex Green. In The Oxford Club, he looks at the firm's turnaround potential.

"Yes, Playboy's publishing empire is a big money loser. But it still has one of the most recognized brands in the world. The rabbit head logo generates more than $1 billion in licensing fees annually.

"When you consider that Playboy Enterprises has a market capitalization of a little over $100 million, you begin to see how undervalued this stock is.

"Over the past year, ITC Holdings (NYSE: ITC) has been focused on identifying ways to integrate wind and other renewable resources into the power grid," notes growth stock expert Alexander Green.

In The Oxford Club Communique, he explains, "This young company -- that despite being in the midst of the biggest economic slowdown in more than 70 years -- is taking in more than $600 million in annual revenue, enjoying 46% operating margins and experiencing 72% quarterly profit growth.

In a difficult economic environment, it is often wise for investors to consider stocks in more defensive and relatively recession-resistant sectors. And one such area is food and beverage stocks.

As the long-standing market maxim goes, consumers can pull back on spending for vacations, remodeling, and new cars, but they still need to eat and drink.

In that light, I turned to nine leading newsletter advisors who serve up their current favorite ideas in the food and beverage sector:

This post is part of a seven article report -- Food for thought: Best bets in food & beverage stocks..

"If you're buying stocks to meet long-term investment goals, now is an excellent time to do some bargain hunting," says Alexander Green. In The Oxford Communique he looks to Diageo (NYSE: DEO).

"One good place to start is with Diageo. We like the outlook for company, which is the world's largest spirit maker. In good times or bad, people drink. According to some studies, even more during the bad times.

"With eight of the top 20 brands, and unparalleled marketing and distribution operations, Diageo is the best way to tap into the globe's steady demand for high-quality spirits.

"Personally, I haven't played a video game since college; but I know the video game market is red hot," says Alex Green; here, the investment director for The Oxford Club takes a look at GameStop (NYSE: GME).

"With more than 5,100 stores throughout the United States and 15 other countries, GameStop is the world's largest video game retailer.

"Its stores include GameStop, EB Games and Electronics Boutique. It also publishes Game Informer, the industry's largest circulation video game magazine with more than 2.2 million paid subscribers.

Two leading growth stock expert, Brandon Clay, editor of Invest with an Edge, and Alexander Green, editor of The Oxford Club, turn to automated blood testing equipment maker Immucor (NASDAQ: BLUD) as a recession-resistant buy.

Clay suggest, "A good bet is to go with the strongest stock in that particular sector at the time of your pickThat way, the company you select at least has the momentum of the sector backing it. Typically the medical industry performs better than the overall market in a downturn. This recession has been no different.

"As we dug deeper into health care, one company surfaced that was worth our attention. Immucor is a blood testing equipment manufacturer specializing in pre-transfusion diagnostics.

"Established in 1982, they brought their first patent to market four years later. Since then they've become a leader in blood diagnostics and blood bank technology.

"The company has been around for more than 120 years. It currently operates in more than 130 countries, selling hundreds of products, including Ultane (an inhaled anesthetic), the anti-infective Biaxin XL, and TriCor and Niaspan to manage cholesterol.

"However, Abbott's biggest growth driver is Humira, a blockbuster drug that targets autoimmune disorders. The drug has received FDA approval to treat a number of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and Crohn's disease.

"Steris Corp. (NYSE: STE), the world's leading maker of sterilization and decontamination equipment, is a fast-growing company in a recession-proof industry," notes growth stock expert Alexander Green.

The contributing editor to industry-leading The Oxford Club explains, "Every year, 6.5 billion medical devices are sterilized in Steris equipment. Even gun-shy investors can afford to step up and buy a few shares of this one."

"Researchers and professionals in the pharmaceutical, medical device manufacturing and health care industries count on Steris to keep their environments germ-free.

"In North America, Steris leads in products like lights, booms and tables. It also offers consumable products, such as hand sanitizers, washing lotions and skincare products.

"This company has a long history, datingo its beginnings as The American Sterilizer Company in 1894. It was already a world leader in sterilization products in the 19th century. Today, the company employs more than 5,300 people in more than 60 countries. Sales hit $1.32 billion over the past 12 months.

"And under the leadership of new CEO Walt Rosebrough, Steris is re-energizing its sales, marketing and R&D. It's also cutting costs to enhance efficiencies and improve profits.