The 10 Most Talked-About Stocks of 2009

At The Fool, nothing makes us giddier than talkin' stocks. Of course, our free investing service, Motley Fool CAPS, has grown over the past few years to become one of the best places to chime in on more than 5,400 different companies.

An eventful 2009 gave our 145,000-plus-member community no shortage of investment opportunities to discuss -- both from the long and short side. But as always, some businesses were bandied about much more than others.

The talk of the town
It should come as no surprise, then, that megacap conglomerate General Electric (NYSE:GE) took the honors as the most talked-about stock in 2009. With 1,287 pitches written about it last year, the industrial giant continued to spark spirited debate like no other blue chip.

For example, the most recommended bull case came from Stadthund, who wrote that GE "is well positioned to [take] advantage of government spending around the world on large scale infrastructure projects (desalination, nukes, and refrigerators big enough to hold the amount of beer required by construction teams)." 

Conversely, worries over the company's "massive debt, potentially crippling exposure to financial markets, and not nearly enough cash" helped make BSHumphrey's underperform pitch the big favorite among GE bears.

And what stocks make up the rest of the top 10, you ask?

Again, it's no shocker that the rest of our "water-cooler" stocks are the ones that gave investors the most to buzz about. From TARP-repaying bank CEOs, to the apparent revival of a venerable American automaker, to big tech names with never-ending products popping from their pipelines, our CAPS community was right on top of the biggest stock stories of 2009.

Have the final say
Of course, our forward-looking community is already conversing about the stocks that are starting to shape 2010. If you'd like your insights to count for next year's list, head over to Motley Fool CAPS today and make your voice heard. It's 100% free.