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The Best Stocks for 2010

By Dan Caplinger – Updated Apr 5, 2017 at 11:57PM

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Which investments will make you the most money in the coming year?

You've had your chance. Now, it's our turn.

Two weeks ago, we asked the Fool community which stocks they thought would be among next year's best performers. They came up with some great ideas:

  • wolfman225 suggested that Intuit's foray into website design software would complement its traditional tax and personal finance software business well, letting it tap into small businesses and unemployed people seeking to build their own websites.
  • Several dividend-paying stocks made an appearance among readers' picks, including Southern Company (NYSE:SO), Novartis (NYSE:NVS), and Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT). The combination of attractive payouts at fairly inexpensive valuations gave readers confidence about their future prospects.
  • Outsized gains among some of 2009's top comeback stories didn't stop folks from choosing them to outpace their peers in 2010. Ford Motor (NYSE:F), Citigroup (NYSE:C), and even Fannie Mae (NYSE:FNM) all came back from the brink back in March to post strong gains -- and some see them as repeat performers next year.

A good year
2009 was good for many investors, and our past-year picks were no exception. Out of 14 stocks we looked at last December, two more than doubled in price, and only two stocks -- ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) and General Electric -- were down year-to-date.

But unlike some competitions, you won't see us coasting on our winning record. Most of our Foolish contributors are back again for another shot at the glory of choosing the best stock for 2010. And we need your help.

Take a look at this year's selections and see what you think. At the bottom of each article, you'll have the opportunity to vote whether you believe that stock is the best stock for 2010. Once we've tallied the votes, we'll be back to tell you which ones are best poised for big gains next year.

The Best Stocks for 2010:

There you go, Fools -- vote early and often today!

As always, when we mention companies in an article, we have to disclose what our various subscription services think about them. Here goes: Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Costco, and Nvidia are Motley Fool Stock Advisor picks. Akamai Technologies, Google, and Intuitive Surgical are Motley Fool Rule Breakers choices. Berkshire Hathaway, Costco, Exelon, and Intel are Motley Fool Inside Value choices. Novartis is a Motley Fool Global Gains selection. Southern Company and UPS are Motley Fool Income Investor picks. Motley Fool Options has recommended buying calls on Intel. The Fool owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway and Costco. Whew!

Fool contributor Dan Caplinger loves seeing what everyone else thinks about their stocks. He owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway and General Electric. Try any of our Foolish newsletters today, free for 30 days. The Fool's disclosure policy is simply the best.

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Stocks Mentioned

Ford Motor Company Stock Quote
Ford Motor Company
F
$11.99 (-2.60%) $0.32
Citigroup Inc. Stock Quote
Citigroup Inc.
C
$42.99 (-2.87%) $-1.27
Exxon Mobil Corporation Stock Quote
Exxon Mobil Corporation
XOM
$83.98 (-2.06%) $-1.77
Caterpillar Inc. Stock Quote
Caterpillar Inc.
CAT
$162.62 (-0.99%) $-1.62
Novartis AG Stock Quote
Novartis AG
NVS
$74.61 (-1.84%) $-1.40
The Southern Company Stock Quote
The Southern Company
SO
$73.15 (-2.45%) $-1.84
Federal National Mortgage Association Stock Quote
Federal National Mortgage Association
FNMA
$0.54 (0.37%) $0.00

*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.

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