Down Market? Stocks to Lift Your Portfolio

As the Dow, Nasdaq and S&P open the trading week in negative territory, CNBC asked the pros how to keep your investments toward the upside.

Chow Down on Fast Food Stocks

"We would prefer the fast-food names, particularly in the near term.  Some of these names have significant international exposure, they have great exposure to things like breakfast, late-night areas that actually have per capita consumption on the rise, and less exposure to the dinner segment, where you're already seeing a recession of sorts."

David Palmer, UBS Senior Restaurant Analyst

Palmer recommends: McDonald’s , Burger King , Starbucks and Darden Restaurants

Eye on Zale

"Zale's is a company that has a great history of earning money. They've sort of lost their way; they've brought in new leadership from the outside. We think it's a great cost-reduction story going forward."

- Matthew Kaufler, Touchstone Value Opportunities Portfolio Manager

Bet on Energy, Health Care & Financials

"There’s a lot of great opportunities out there with low interest rates and reasonable valuations. We still think the energy sector is a good place to be putting fresh money. Health care is a great place to put money. If you’re looking at the financials, we think the smaller life insurance segment has some great values out there."

- Elizabeth Miller, Trevor Stewart Burton & Jacobsen

Bullish on Large-Caps

"I'm looking for things that have been overly beaten up. And that’s a fine strategy tactically for those who are bullish long-term. But for those who are really positive on this market structurally ... I’d recommend [that they] continue to look at large-cap tech, large-cap industrials, and energy companies-- as we do believe while the global economy will slow down with the U.S. is going into a mild recession, we do think the structural story of these companies is quite strong and the valuations don’t reflect that."

- David Bianco, UBS Chief Equity Strategist

© 2008 CNBC.com