After some stiff competition, tons of lively debate by our analysts and readers, and almost 10,000 votes cast, we're down to the final candidates for the title of "Best Stock for 2010."

Last week, our writers compiled a list of 13 best stock contenders. Your votes have eliminated high-quality contestants like Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and Akamai (NASDAQ:AKAM), leaving these five:

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Rick Munarriz believes Apple has plenty of growth left in its iPhone and MacBooks franchises ... plus a big opportunity to take on Amazon's Kindle. Read his whole argument here.

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-A)
Morgan Housel argues that Warren Buffett's company is still selling at prices we haven't seen in years. Read his whole argument here.

Costco (NASDAQ:COST)
Alyce Lomax argues we should pay up for Costco's quality management rather than chase false bargains. Read her whole argument here.

Silver Wheaton (NYSE:SLW)
Christopher Barker proves that not all that glitters is gold by touting this silver player as his favorite stock. Read his whole argument here.

UPS (NYSE:UPS)
Rich Smith sees a margin recovery story for the shipper with the sharp brown shorts. He even cites some Wall Street backup. Read his whole argument here.

Help us determine the winner by voting below. Then make your best case in the comments section.