"Glass is also more eco-friendly than other materials, benefiting Owens-Illinois (NYSE: OI), the world's largest supplier of glass containers," says quantitiative analyst Vahan Janjigian, editor of The Forbes Growth Investor.

"The company's bottles are used for beer, wine, liquor, tea, juice, food, and pharmaceuticals. Major customers include Anheuser-Busch, SAB Miller, Molson Coors, Diageo, PepsiCo, H.J. Heinz, and Heineken.

"Glass containers offer several advantages over alternatives such as aluminum and plastic. They preserve purity and flavor, they are infinitely recyclable, and there is no shortage of raw materials.

"Glass is also cost-efficient for the customer, which is particularly important in developing countries where containers are often reused and refilled 30-50 times before being recycled.

"On the strength of two key acquisitions, Brightpoint (NASDAQ: CELL) has become the largest global distributor of wireless devices," says quantitative analyst Vahan Janjigian of Forbes Growth Investor.

"The acquisitons helped boost the number of wireless products handled in 2007 by 55% to 83 million. The company is also the leading provider of customized logistics services to the wireless industry.

"CELL purchases cell phones, batteries, chargers, and memory cards, and then sells them to a global network of 25,000 customers.

"The objective is to acquire distribution rights to products offering the greatest potential for growth. It sells brands made by LG Electronics, Nokia, Kyocera, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, Siemens, and Ericsson. This category produced 92% of total 2007 revenues, but it had a gross profit margin of just 4.24%.

Sohu.com (NASDAQ: SOHU), an Internet media provider in China, is a recent featured addition to the aggressive growth portfolio of Vahan Janjigian.

The leading quantitative analyst and editor of The Forbes Growth Report explains, "Long-term growth is also promising as Internet usage expands in China." Here is the advisor's review.

"Sohu offers media content from more than 1,600 partners through 35 interest-specific channels, which cover news, business, sports, and entertainment. The website also offers tools such as free email accounts, web logs (blogs), message boards, and picture galleries.

"SOHU also runs Sogou.com, a proprietary Internet search engine; Chinaren.com, the largest online youth community in China boasting more than 80 million users; 17173.com, which provides information about online video games and has alliances with thousands of Internet cafes; and Focus.cn, a real estate website.

"Although I remain bearish on the economy for the time being, I am turning more bullish on stocks," says Vahan Janjigian, editor of The Forbes Growth Investor.

He adds, "I believe stocks have fallen enough to be attractive to all investors except those with very short horizons. And my recommendation for Citigroup (NYSE: C) conveys my conviction that some of the best opportunities for long-term gains will come from the oversold financial sector."

"There is much debate about whether or not a recession is coming. In my view, it has already arrived. But whether or not it's an 'official' recession is largely irrelevant. The Federal Reserve is obviously so alarmed it has slashed interest rates at a record-breaking pace

"With more than 300,000 employees serving 200 million accounts in over 100 countries, Citigroup is a financial
services supermarket. But the collapse of the subprime mortgage market erased about $125 billion from the
company's market capitalization.

"Many financial institutions got burned by the subprime mortgage meltdown. Banks holding mortgage backed
securities (MBS) and collateralized debt obligations (CDO) were particularly hard hit. Citigroup suffered massive writedowns.

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 A. Schulman (NASDAQ: SHLM), which makes high-performance plastic resins and compounds that are used by customers to produce everything from pens to artificial turf," says quantitative analyst Vahan Janjigian, editor of The Forbes Growth Investor.

"Almost three-fourths of fiscal 2007 sales (ended August 31) were generated from outside of North America. The firm makes resins that give plastics a specific color or physical property, such as conductivity.

"Its polyolefins units makes products such as interior trims for automobiles, toys, and office supplies and its engineered compounds division helps products maintain specific characteristics such as heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and high strength-to-weight ratios.

"SHLM is recovering from a difficult fiscal year. Management started several strategic initiatives to put profitability back on track. Most of these efforts focused on improving profitability in North America. Business units were reorganized with the aim of cutting costs.

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 speculative idea for 2008 is Kinetic Concepts (NYSE: KCI), which makes products for advanced wound care and other therapeutic applications," says quantitative analyst Vahan Janjigian, editor of The Forbes Growth Investor.

"KCI's therapeutic categories include advanced products for wound care and tissue repair, which accounted for 79% of first half 2007 revenues.

"The company's proprietary Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) technology uses negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) to treat and promote healing in acute and chronic wounds caused by severe trauma, failed surgical closures, amputations, and serious pressure ulcers.

"VAC systems consist of a pump that provides a controlled level of negative pressure to the wound, foam dressings, occlusive drapes and specialized canisters that collect body fluids, filter odors, and facilitate the safe disposal of medical waste.

"After several challenging years, Corning (NYSE: GLW) has returned to profitability," notes leading quantitative analyst Vahan Janjigian in The Forbes Growth Investor.

Corning, he notes, makes glass and ceramic products for high technology applications. Its largest segment, Display Technologies, makes glass substrates for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which are used in notebook computers, desktop monitors, LCD televisions, and other consumer products.

IN addition, he points out, the telecom segment makes optical fiber and cable used for Internet and cable television services. And its environmental segment makes ceramic substrates and filters for emission and pollution control systems in gasoline and diesel engines.

Boosted by its licensing rights and marketing agreements for such characters as Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and Transformers, quantitative analyst Vahan Janjigian recommends toy maker Hasbro (NYSE: HAS).

The editor of The Forbes Growth Investor says, "Hasbro has done an outstanding job of selecting licensing opportunities," noting that licensing agreements with Lucas Licensing and Marvel Entertainment give Hasbro rights to develop toys based on Star Wars movies and Marvel comic books.

The Marvel deal, he notes, provides an excellent example. Janjigian says, "Its numerous comic book characters, some of which are more than 40 years old, offer plenty of potential for future sales, especially as more of them make it onto the big screen."

He states, "A renewed focus on core brands and licensed merchandise has led to strong results in the past year. First quarter net revenues surged 33.6% year-over-year to $625.3 million."

Spider-Man branded merchandise, he observes, which benefited from the release of the movie Spider-Man 3, was responsible for more than half of the growth in volume.

The recent opening of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, he adds, could translate into brisk toy sales in the second quarter. Indeed, he forecasts, with seven films based on Marvel properties projected to be released over the next two years, Hasbro's prospects look "extremely promising."

Further, he says, "Hasbro should also benefit from the much hyped Transformers film." In fact, he notes, licensing revenues should receive a boost from the more than 230 Transformers-related agreements entered into by third-parties expecting to capitalize on the film.

He explains, "Transformers could signal more movie opportunities for HAS owned properties, which may further boost brand awareness and toy sales. Indeed, a G.I. Joe movie is already in the works."

The advisor concludes, "And let's not forget the company's more traditional products. The company has some of the most recognized brand names in the toy industry. Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers make classic board games such as Monopoly and Scrabble."

Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com features the latest investment ideas and market commentary from the financial newsletter community.

Vahan Janjigian, a quantitative analyst, sees value in Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), which he feels will benefit from growing acceptance of Microsoft's Vista operating system. Here's his latest from The Forbes Growth Investor.

Office Depot, he notes, operates 1,174 stores in the U.S. and Canada, including 16 new stores that opened during the quarter. Operations, he says, have improved ever since new management took over in 2005.

The pro forma operating profit margin expanded to 5.5% in 2006 from 4.6% in 2005 and 4.3% in 2004, he points out, and a remodeling initiative is boosting sales and profits by providing a better shopping experience and lower operating expenses.

Janjigian also notes that the company has expanded its line of private-label goods, which offer better value to customers yet carry higher margins. He estimates that private label sales now generate about one-fourth of net revenues.

However, the analyst points out, North American sales have been depressed as customers put off computer purchases while waiting for the Vista operating system from Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and he now expects sales to rise as Vista gains acceptance.

He suggests, "Sales should rise from Vista and any remaining weakness in comparable store sales should be offset by margin expansion."

He also notes that all older format stores should be remodeled within the next few years and about 350 new stores should be opened by 2008. He says, "The combination of top-line growth and expanding margins should help earnings grow at mid-teen rates. As such, we rate the stock a buy."

For more stock picks from the leading financial newsletter advisors, visit Steven Halpern's free daily website, TheStockAdvisors.com.

The 2005 IPO of Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) was the "most successful ever in the footwear industry in terms of raising money," notes quantitative analyst Vahan Janjigian.

Indeed, says the editor of The Forbes Growth Investor, "The company has turned 'ugly' into a favorable feature that along with their reputation for comfort have helped boost sales by 236% in the latest quarter."

He notes that the company's tremendous success is due to the popularity of its clog-like sandals with their distinctive air holes and toe-box ventilation system. He explains, "Made from Croslite, a proprietary closed-cell resin that molds to the contours of the feet, these shoes offer an exceptionally comfortable fit."

Croslite, he points out, is lightweight, waterproof, and slip and odor resistant. The shoes became a hit with beachgoers and boaters despite their unusual look, he notes. Further, he adds, "Sales growth exploded as they gained popularity with the fashion conscious and then the mass market."

Janjigian notes, "Their unique appearance, which some call ugly, made them easily identifiable and probably added to their appeal." The shoes, he notes are now available at more than 10,000 locations in the U.S. and can be purchased in more than 8,000 locations in 80 other countries.

I've just returned from the World Money Show, where some 10,000+ investors gathered to learn about global investing. I had a chance to meet with many of the advisors who were featured at the show, and I am highlighting some of their favorite investment ideas. To view all of the stocks featured in this special global report, click here.

Although based in Maryland, McCormick and Co. (NYSE:MKC) is indeed a global play. Vahan Janjigian says, "McCormick is the largest global supplier of spices, herbs, and seasonings. Its products are sold in nearly 100 countries."

Individual brands, he notes, include McCormick and Zatarain's in the U.S. and Mexico, Schwartz in the U.K., Ducros in France, Club House in Canada, and Silvo in the Netherlands.

The quantitative analyst and editor of The Forbes Growth Investor explains, "The consumer segment, which generated 55% of first nine months sales, makes, markets, and distributes to grocers, supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drug stores, and other retail outlets.

"The industrial segment supplies the food service industry and food manufacturers with compound flavors. Customers include almost all major American service restaurants and food companies.

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.

Sirenza Microdevices (NASDAQ: SMDI) is the top speculative play for 2007 from quantitative analyst Vahan Janjigian. The editor of The Forbes Growth Investor says, "Sirenza designs and supplies radio frequency (RF) components for equipment used in the defense, aerospace, and homeland security markets. It also does business in the commercial communications and consumer markets.

"Broomfield, Colorado-based Sirenza was off to the races in 2006, gaining 193% from the first of the year until July 3. The drop that was to come, however, was swift and ugly, finally culminating four months later after the stock lost more than 48% of its value.

"The shares began to rally after the October 31 acquisition of Micro Linear Corp., a semiconductor company specializing in wireless integrated circuit (IC) solutions used in a variety of wireless applications. Five weeks after its November 2 bottom, the stock had rallied 30%, and I believe there's more to come on the upside.

"SMDI sports a lean PEG ratio of 0.75 and 14.8 times expected 2006 full year earnings of $0.61 per share. For the September quarter, revenue was up 130% over the same quarter in 2005, while earnings per share shot up 189%."

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