This post is one in a series in which more than 60 newsletter advisors share their Top Stock Picks for 2011. This special report is courtesy of TheStockAdvisors.com.

"One a theme that hasn't worked in, well, forever -- large cap technology stocks; many large cap tech are trading at historically low valuations," note Lou Basenese.

The editor of the White Cap Research Group explains, "As a contrarian, I'm picking the most contrarian large cap technology stock out there: Cisco Systems (CSCO), which could be a top-performer in 2011.

Continue reading Top Picks 2011: Cisco Systems (CSCO)

Top Picks 2011: Cisco Systems (CSCO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Investors can boot up their portfolios by investing in a cheap, cyclical stock that Wall Street has punished unfairly; I'm referring to Western Digital (WDC)," says Lou Basenese.

The contributing editor to Investment U explains, "The company is a manufacturer of hard disk drives used in personal computers, consumer electronics and enterprise applications.

"We have seen a sustained analyst crusade against its prospects (which merely means it's arguably the best time to invest). For months, Wall Street's 'finest' have ratcheted down the company's expectations, plus those of its competitors.

Continue reading Western Digital (WDC): Takeover Target?

Western Digital (WDC): Takeover Target? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Microsoft (MSFT) recently reported net income for the quarter of $4.52 billion, or 52 cents a share, up 53% from 34 cents a share in the same period a year earlier," observes Jack Adamo, in his recent bullish review of the software company.

The editor of Insiders Plus explains, "Revenue jumped 22% to $16 billion. This is in contrast to most companies' higher earnings based on cost-cutting with only meager, if any, gains in revenue.

"The company's business division, dominated by its Office suite of applications, saw sales surge on the recent release of a new version of Office.

Continue reading Microsoft (MSFT): 'Underpriced by $10+ a Share'

Microsoft (MSFT): 'Underpriced by $10+ a Share' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Microsoft (MSFT) and its broad product line have become such staples of modern life that the company hardly warrants an introduction," says money manager and newsletter advisor Jim Stack.

The editor of Investech Market Analyst explains, "From its ubiquitous Windows operating system and Office productivity suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) to server products and entertainment devices, the vast majority of us use numerous Microsoft products every day.

Continue reading Microsoft (MSFT): Poised for Long-Term Gains

Microsoft (MSFT): Poised for Long-Term Gains originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"IBM (IBM), our latest featured stock of the month, is no longer the company that might have been familiar to your parents; in 2004, CEO Samuel Palmisano sold off the company's PC (personal computer) business (to China's Lenovo) and shifted the firm's focus to consulting and services, given the higher margins they brought," notes Vita Nelson.

The editor of MoneyPaper explains, "In addition, recently, the company has put more emphasis on computer software. Palmisano asserts that business will account for half of pre-tax profits in five years.

Continue reading IBM: A Shift to Higher Margins

IBM: A Shift to Higher Margins originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Under the direction of the swashbuckling CEO Larry Ellison, Oracle (ORCL) has grown into the biggest player in the $19 billion database market," says Richard Moroney.

The editor of Dow Theory Forecasts -- a newsletter that has been published for over 50 years -- he explains, "Ellison enjoys baiting his competition. In March, he mocked SAP. for its recent turnover at CEO; and last fall he issued a direct challenge to IBM in a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal.

Continue reading Oracle (ORCL): Harnessing the 'Sun'

Oracle (ORCL): Harnessing the 'Sun' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 May 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading New Revenue Cycle to Boost Microsoft (MSFT)

New Revenue Cycle to Boost Microsoft (MSFT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Dow Theory Forecasts is one of the most venerable players in the financial newsletter community; the service has been published continuously for well over five decades.

Editor Richard Moroney looks to BMC Software (BMC) as his top pick for 2010. He explains, "BMC develops products that run corporate data centers, which house critical computer systems."

Continue reading Top Picks for 2010: BMC Software (BMC)

Top Picks for 2010: BMC Software (BMC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), a holding on our recommended buy list, delivered another blowout quarter, driven by booming sales of both the iPhone and its Macintosh computers," notes analyst Geoffrey Seiler.

In his BullMarket.com advisory, he suggests, "Overall, Apple's results are nothing short of amazing." Here, he provides an in-depth analysis of the quarter, his outlook, and the reasoning behind the boost to his longer-term price target to $270 a share.

"Apple sold 7.4 million iPhones in the quarter, 7% more than the year-ago quarter, and 3.05 million Macs, a 17% year-over-year increase. The end result was that the company posted a whopping 47% increase in Q4 net income.

Continue reading Apple (AAPL): 'Nothing short of amazing'

Apple (AAPL): 'Nothing short of amazing' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"At 12 times trailing earnings, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) trades at a 21% discount to its three-year average valuation and looks cheaper than other U.S. computer giants," says blue chip advisor Richard Moroney.

In Dow Theory Forecast -- a newsletter that has been published for over 5 decades -- he looks at the firm's diversified position and the reasons behind his "long-term buy" rating on the shares.

"For a company that chose its name via a coin toss, Hewlett-Packard takes a deliberate approach to dealing with trouble; its founders designed their first factory so it could be turned into a grocery store if the technology business failed to grow.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard (HPQ): 'Pragmatic' strategy

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ): 'Pragmatic' strategy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"My mantra for investing in this dicey market is to focus on three non-negotiable demands: very solid balance sheet; large, installed customer base; steady cash flows; and dividends," says Jack Adamo.

In his Insiders Plus newsletter he looks at a technology stock that meets his criteria: Sybase (NYSE: SY). He notes, "Overall, this is a company I'm comfortable owning, even in a bad ongoing recession."

The advisor explains, "Sybase is an industry leader in software to manage, analyze and distribute information in the most data-intensive enterprises, such as financial services, telecoms, manufacturing and government.

"To put it concisely: It manages data and makes it available to the many different devices that use it, across the myriad communication protocols that must be traversed to accomplish that.

Continue reading Sybase (SY): Networked for gains

Sybase (SY): Networked for gains originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The term cloud computing is nothing particularly new or complicated; it simply means that instead of having software on your home, office or notebook computer, you run applications over the Internet," explains Gregg Early.

In Personal Finance says, "It's the way of the future as computing becomes increasingly mobile." Here, he looks at a trio of plays on this trend: Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), and Rackspace Hosting (NYSE: RAX).

"I would point out that I'm writing this article on Google Docs. This document is stored on a Google server farm, not on my office computer.

Continue reading Cloud computing: Amazon, Salesforce.com and Rackspace

Cloud computing: Amazon, Salesforce.com and Rackspace originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) has transformed itself into a dynamic consulting and computer services company that's leading the charge to help companies streamline efficiency and cut costs," says Ian Wyatt.

In his Top Stock Insights he explains, "And most investors are unaware of the change. In our opinion, that's why IBM trades with such an attractive valuation."

"The transformation of IBM means there should be some solid profits for investors who understand the changing face of business. It started in 2002. IBM bought out PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting for $3.5 billion.

Continue reading IBM (IBM): 'Dynamic transformation'

IBM (IBM): 'Dynamic transformation' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"One way to protect yourself in a difficult market environment is to buy shares in low-risk, blue chip companies; one outstanding examples is Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT)," suggest Kuen Chan & David Sandell.

In The Complete Investor, they explain, "The company is safe, strong, and able to grow even in a weak economy. It also has more than $25 billion in cash and equivalents and almost no debt."

"Microsoft is near ubiquitous in the computer world. Some version of its Windows operating system runs on roughly 90% of all personal computers, while its Office Suite programs have more than 550 million users.

Continue reading Microsoft (MSFT): 'Safe and strong'

Microsoft (MSFT): 'Safe and strong' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), already on our recommended list selection, announced fiscal Q3 earnings after the bell last night that, to no one's surprise, easily topped Wall Street estimates," notes Geoffrey Seiler.

In his Bull Market.com advisory, he reviews the latest earnings report and offers his outlook for the shares -- including a boost to his price target for the stock.

"For the quarter ended June 27th, the company earned $1.23 billion, or $1.35 a share, up 15% from $1.07 billion, or $1.19 a share, a year ago. Analysts were only looking for EPS of $1.17.

Continue reading Bullish momentum boosts Apple (AAPL)

Bullish momentum boosts Apple (AAPL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), already a holding on our buy list, was added to Goldman Sachs' Conviction Buy List," says Bill Martin. In BullMarket.com, he offers the reasoning for his continued buy rating.

"Analyst Sarah Friar at Goldman recently raised her price target on the name to $29 from $25 saying, 'We are adding Microsoft to our Conviction List as we think the combination of better revenue drivers, improved expense management, and sizable cash balances provides more opportunities for bottom-line beats.'

"'Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Bing, Xbox 360 and new Halo content, Office 2010, and the Azure Cloud provide renewed innovation beyond anything we have seen in multiple years,' Friar wrote.

Continue reading Microsoft (MSFT): Bet on Bing?

Microsoft (MSFT): Bet on Bing? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Overall, we believe quality technology stocks offer above-average growth potential and attractive valuations," says Gregory Dorsey.

In Stephen Leeb's The Complete Investor, he explains, "International Business Machines(NYSE: IBM) has plowed ahead despite a daunting economic and business environment; we are adding the stock to our Growth & Income Portfolio."

"For prudent investors in this challenging economy, most of the major technology companies are financially solid, often with little or no debt and lots of cash on their books. This makes them good long-term vehicles even if the economy remains off the rails for a prolonged period.

Continue reading IBM (IBM): Growth and value

IBM (IBM): Growth and value originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) remains the dominant search engine on the web," notes Paul Tracy. In his StreetAuthority Market Advisor, he views the stock as a solid buy for growth investors.

"In economic downturns, one of the first costs most companies cut is advertising. Not surprisingly, over the past year, most companies have slashed their advertising budgets in response to the severe economic downturn.

"But online ad spending has remained remarkably resilient. GOOG's system targets specific ads based on what users type into their search box, geographic location and other factors.

Continue reading Go for growth with Google (GOOG)

Go for growth with Google (GOOG) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), the bellwether company when it comes to performance in the tech industry, is hanging tough," says growth stock expert Toby Smith.

In his ChangeWave Investing he explains why "investors should own this stock before the economy shifts into a higher gear." Here's his review.

"As a true dominator, Cisco is beautifully positioned in several long-term secular trends including cloud computing and data center build-outs, unified communications, web-based video and telepresence.

Continue reading Cisco (CSCO): A 'true dominator'

Cisco (CSCO): A 'true dominator' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 May 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) provides a good mix of rising earnings estimates, worldwide exposure and a safe dividend," says analyst Alex Kolb from Zacks Research.

"IBM was incorporated in the State of New York in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co., changing its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924.

"And with the strength of its global on-demand model, IBM is experiencing strong revenue growth in all geographies, with robust growth in emerging markets worldwide.

Continue reading IBM: For stability and growth

IBM: For stability and growth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 May 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.