British Airways (LSE: BA) lost ₤375 million ($595 million) in the 12 months ending March 31, 2009. This is down from a profit of ₤712 million ($1.1 billion) the year before. The airline, which was privatized in 1987, has never sustained a loss this great. As a result, British Airways will not pay any dividends to shareholders -- or bonuses to the management team.

Weaker demand and spikes in fuel costs are cited as the reasons for the year-over-year record loss. Revenue was up 2.9% (₤8.99 billion) year-over-year, but this was not enough to offset a 45% increase in fuel costs -- to ₤2.97 billion. Demand problems struck in the fourth quarter, with revenue dropping 8.4% to ₤1.9 billion.

Its previous record loss was ₤200 million for the year ending in 2002.

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.

A leading expert on Asia, Yiannis Mostrous looks to international bank, Standard Chartered (OTC: SCBFF) as his top pick for 2009. Here's the latest from The Silk Road Investor.

"Standard Chartered has been doing business in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East for more than 100 years.

"It's an international bank focused on retail and corporate banking and treasury activities. Although domiciled in the UK, its biggest single concentration of customers and profits is in Hong Kong.

"More than 40% of its retail income is generated by deposits and related fees. Its income streams are highly diversified, with no consumer or wholesale geography contributing more than 9% of revenues, and its loan/deposit ratio is 85%.

"The bank offers pure exposure to some of the most dynamic areas in the emerging market world and is run in a prudent manner, especially compared to most of its competition.

Growth expert Dennis Slothower has chosen Vodafone Group (NYSE: VOD) as the latest "stock of the month" in his Stealth Stocks newsletter.

He notes that the London-based firm is a world leader in providing voice and data communications services for both consumer and enterprise customers, with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Pacific and the United States.

Indeed, he points out, the company has equity interests in 25 countries; partner market arrangements extend the group's footprint to an additional 38 countries with 206 million mobile communications customers.

He explains, "Vodaphone Group is continually developing and enhancing service offerings, particularly through third-generation (3G) mobile technology, which has been deployed in the majority of its operations."

With interest rates falling, he observes, the technology sector is leading the way and the wireless sector is leading the technology sector. And the company, he says, has grown earnings over the past year at a 25% rate.

Says Slothower, "This stock has everything I like: international exposure, a 2.5% dividend and a low P/E ratio. I would not be surprised to see VOD double over the next 18 months."

According to my numbers, he contends, Vodafone should be selling in the $70 range over the next three to five years. He concludes, "It is currently trading in the low $30 range, so VOD has a large upside potential. Place a sell stop at 25% below your entry price. As the stock rises, continue to raise your stop."

Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com features the latest stock picks and investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.