In recent posts, I have reviewed the newsletter advisors' Top Picks from 2007, first highlighting stocks that were in the healthcare, tech, and telecom sectors and then highlighting favorites in the out-of-favor metals and energy areas.

To conclude this review, I'm turning now to the most popular sector in this year's annual Top Picks report -- financial stocks. Of particular note this year is the type of financial stocks that rose to the top of the advisors' buy lists.

In past years, it was routine to see brokerage firms and large cap consumer banks among the Top Picks. This year, only one such company was chosen; Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) was selected as the favorite stock of both Mark Skousen and Kelley Wright.

Outside of Citi, the advisory community looked to an area that has rarely been cited in previous Top Picks reports --specialty finance companies. For example, Gordon Pape selected Brookfield Asset Management, which provides financing to real estate ventures.

Neil George chose a pair of companies spun off from Australia's Macquarie Bank. Both the Macquarie Infrastructure Trust (NYSE:MIC) and the Macquarie Infrastructure Group (OTC:MCORF) provide financing to global road, bridge, and airport development projects.

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.

Pinetree Capital Corp. (TSX: PNP) (Other OTC: PNPFF) is the top pick for speculative investors for 2007 from technical analyst Mark Leibovit. The editor of VRTrader says, "Pinetree is a diversified investment and merchant banking firm focused on the small cap market. Its investments are primarily in the resources sector: uranium, oil and gas, precious metals, and base metals.

"Its investment approach is to build a macro position in a sector, find the micro-cap opportunities in that sector, and work with those companies to build them to commercial production and create an exit.

"Our primary interest in Pinetree is for its strength as a uranium play. Spot uranium has hit a new bull market high of $60/lb. as growing demand on a worldwide level for uranium grows, based on the recognition that nuclear generated power is the only true long-term answer to our energy needs.

"The upside target in Pinetree is unlimited, depending on whether or not a buying panic ensues for uranium shares. It is our view that larger fish will eventually be gobbling up all available uranium resources to insure future supply for current and soon-to-be-built nuclear plants. Upside target is set for $30 for now, looking through 2007."

To see Mark's favorite conservative idea for 2007, click here.