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.

"France Telecom (NYSE: FTE) -- my top pick for 2009 -- is one the world's best-managed telecom companies," says global expert Nick Lanyi in his income-focused advisory service, High-Yield International.

Lanyi states, "The dominant provider of wireline phone service in France, FTE also is the leading wireless provider in the country and a major wireless and broadband-Internet provider throughout Europe.

"About 40% of the company's profits come from outside of France, including exposure to emerging markets with excellent long-term growth potential, including Poland and several African countries.

"FTE has invested heavily in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and its leadership in this area -- 5.4 million customers in France -- has given it a foot in the door in many homes, allowing the company to generate strong sales growth for its high-speed Internet services. FTE has relatively strong profit margins and has succeeded in cutting costs in recent years.