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.

"New Oriental Education (NYSE: EDU), the largest English instruction and college prep course school in China, is my top pick for 2009 says China stock expert Tony Sagami.

In his specialized newsletter, the Asia Stock Alert, he explains, "Every time I travel to Asia, I'm on the lookout for new ideas; on my latest trip I found that one of the oldest stocks in our portfolio -- New Oriental -- is still one of the very best.

"I've previously attended New Oriental classes in Shanghai and Shenzhen before, and during the Olympics, I visited their home office in Beijing. The registration desk had a steady stream of students signing up for new classes throughout the day.

"Its bookstore was just as busy as the registration desk. The most popular books were Chinese versions of SAT, GRE, GMAT, and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) preparation guides, as well as college-specific books.

"I haven't wavered in my belief that New Oriental Education (NYSE: EDU) is the single best stock I've run into during my 25-year investment career," asserts Tony Sagami in The Asia Stock Alert.

"The company's latest quarterly results only reinforce that belief. The Chinese are signing up in droves for basic English classes that are offered by New Oriental.

"First quarter profits rose $11.6 million, to 29 cents per share, from $8.4 million or 22 cents during the same period a year ago. That, by the way, is well above the 23 cents Wall Street was expecting.

"Revenue jumped from $32.8 million a year ago to $48.1 million, a 47% spurt. That number is extremely impressive given the fact that China was hit with its worst snowstorm in 50 years and caused many classes to be canceled.