The president and chief operating officer of Arch Coal Inc. exercised options for and then sold 20,000 shares of common stock, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Wednesday.

A vice president and general counsel of Arch Coal Inc. exercised options for and then sold 35,300 shares of common stock, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Wednesday.

Shares of Alpha Natural Resources led the coal sector to several all-time highs Monday after the company reported first-quarter earnings that tripled and handily beat Wall Street's expectations.

Jason Trennert expects a short-run rally -- but he's also warning investors that it won't last. The chief investment strategist of Strategas Research Partners calls it a "Michael Jordan head-fake." He compiled two lists of companies for investors to consider: the "Thrifty 50" versus the "Iffy 50."

Global coal supply will fall short by up to 35 million tons in 2008 and the deficit is set to grow going forward, ensuring that prices remain strong, the CEO of coal miner Arch Coal said on Monday.

Ahead of the weekend, CNBC asks the experts where investors should place their bets.

The economy's worsening. So's inflation. And the stock market is tanking. What to do? CNBC asked market experts for their best investment advice. Here are some of their picks.