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.

Resources expert Mary Anne Aden, turns to silver for both her favorites for 2007 -- selecting the exchange-traded fund iShares Silver Trust (ASE: SLV) as her conservative investment and Silver Standard Resources (NASDAQ: SSRI) as her top speculation.

In The Aden Forecast she explains, "In recent years, commodities have been rising strongly and this boom is expected to continue in the years ahead. Why? China and other emerging nations have been buying on a grand scale, and it's not only commodities.

"As these countries build and grow, demand has increased sharply for oil, other raw materials, and metals. The strongest commodity has been silver. It's consistently outperformed nearly every other investment, and with reason. More silver is being used than is being produced and it's headed for a world shortage.

"That makes silver a top pick for 2007, and an easy way to profit is to buy the silver ETF, iShares Silver Trust. The best silver share is Silver Standard Resources. Although higher risk than an ETF, this stock is a good way to benefit from silver's potential, and is my top speculative pick for the coming year."

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.

Yamana Gold (ASE: AUY) is a favorite speculative pick for 2007 from Curtis Hesler, editor of The Professional Timing Service.

He explains, "I believe that gold made a significant breakout in early December, officially ending the correction begun in May. The correction resulted in a triangle formation with the lows all about $560 and the highs successively lower.

"The last time gold formed a triangle like the recent May to November pattern was in 1979. When prices broke out of the triangle pattern in the fall of 1979, gold went straight from $400 to about $875 by January 1980. We are likely setting up for a similar run now, and the dollar is confirming this.

"A doubling of today's price does not require a stretch of the imagination. The gold-to-oil ratio is currently about 10, but it is rising. If it hits the long term average of 16, gold would be $1,000 with crude at $63. If crude were to go back over $70, and the ratio were 16 the price of gold would be $1,120.

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.

Pamela Anne Aden, turns to gold for both her favorites for 2007 -- selecting the exchange-traded fund streetTracks Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) as her conservative investment and Market Vectors Gold Miners Trust (ASE: GDX), also an ETF, as her top speculation.

In The Aden Forecast, the resource sector advisor notes, "There are several reasons why the metals and commodities markets are likely headed higher in the upcoming years. Aside from the ongoing demand out of China and other emerging nations, gross financial imbalances are taking their toll too.

"In recent years, the U.S. has gone heavily into debt. At the same time, China has built up the largest cash reserves in the world. The end result is the largest U.S. budget and trade deficits in history, and this has caused the U.S. dollar to fall over the past five years.

"Since gold and the dollar generally move in opposite directions, these imbalances have also been an important factor driving gold higher. This major financial shift is unlikely to be resolved soon. That means gold and gold shares are poised to rise further in 2007.

"One way to take advantage of these trends is buying the gold ETF, streetTracks Gold, which tracks the price of gold bullion and is a conservative way to invest in this market. The ETF for gold shares -- Market Vectors Gold Miners -- which tracks individual gold mining companies, is a more speculative way to play the sector."