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.

Top-rated market timer Mark Leibovit says, "Gold has been our top pick for the last two years and we are staying with it." In his VR Survey he looks at PowerShares DB Gold Double Long (NYSE: DGP).

The advisor explains, "We set a new low of 680.30 on October 24, the lowest low since the 1020 record high from March 17, 2008 and down from the October 10 recovery high of 933.65.

"Though unfulfilled technical measurements still exist as low as 620 in Gold, it appears a short-term bottom is now in place. Support is the low at 680.

"We broke through resistance of 830-850 on December 16. Strength in the US Dollar Index had put the brakes on the gold rally, but we've now seen that gold and the dollar can rally together. It is possible gold is anticipating a top in the dollar, which is inevitable.

"Indeed, you could come in some morning and find gold up $500 an ounce and blow the lid off all the bearish sentiment and doubters. Gold will never go to zero and is the ultimate hedge.

"The Fed lowered interest rates more than expected and in a way that has Wall Street talking; in fact, the stock market is setting up a potentially bullish technical formation," technician Mark Leibovit, editor of Volume Reversal Survey -- often ranked among the top performing market timing services.

He reports, "The market expected a 50 basis point cut to 0.5% with a chance of a 75 bp cut to 0.25%. Some even called for a rate of 0%. The Fed made a lot of people happy, though a bit confused, by lowered the Fed Funds rate target to a range of 0% to 0.25%.

"This is the first time the Fed has lowered rates to a range instead of a an actual number. It also bring the Fed Funds rate to its lowest target rate ever. The Fed also pledged to use "all available tools" to combat a severe financial crisis and prolonged recession. The stock market likes the lower interest rate and the Dow is up 360 points, the S&P is up 44 and the NASDAQ is up 81.

"As I write, all nine market sectors are trading higher, led by Financials which are up 9.8%. Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) is up 17.2% after reporting its first quarterly loss as a public company.

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 play for 2008 is SPDR S&P Homebuilders Index (ASE: XHB)," says Mark Leibovit, editor of VRTrader and last year's the #1-rated market timer by Timer Digest.

"The investment seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before expenses, the performance of an index derived from the homebuilding segment of a US total market composite index. The fund uses a passive management strategy designed to track the total return performance of the S&P Homebuilders Select Industry index.

"We expect a sharp recovery in housing stocks. The Case-Shiller Futures Market (traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange) is the vehicle of choice for the Plunge Protection team (PPT) to bolster the US real estate market.

"It is obvious that the PPT will be buying the Case Shiller Futures contracts, initially a quiet accumulation, and then more aggressively so as to bias the futures pointing to a rebound in real estate.

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 play for 2008 is a repeat of my top pick from last year, StreetTracks Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD)," says Mark Leibovit, editor of VRYTrader and last year's #1 rated market timer by Timer Digest.

"StreetTracks Gold seeks to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the trust's expenses. The trust holds gold, and is expected to issue baskets in exchange for deposits of gold, and to distribute gold in connection with redemption of baskets.

"The gold held by the trust will only be sold on an as-needed basis to pay trust expenses, in the event the trust terminates and liquidates its assets, or as otherwise required by law or regulation. The trust is not managed like an active investment vehicle, and it's not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940.