Market Pros: Short-Term Looks Awful — But We're Buying

On Tuesday, U.S. legislators heard testimony from Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the TARP bailout seems to ire everyone — and few can agree what to do with the Big 3 automakers. CNBC's experts offered their views on the economy — and actually found reason for investor hope.

'Tis the Season to be Gloomy

Michelle Girard of RBS Greenwich said massive layoffs and ever grimmer numbers point to tough economic sledding for the rest of the year. Robert Pavlik of Oaktree Asset Management said the Obama administration must take steps to stimulate the economy — as Ronald Reagan did when he took office.

Buy Everything But T-Bills

Almost every asset class — with the exception of U.S. Treasury bonds, which benefitted from the flight to quality — will provide good opportunities for investors willing to take a long-term view, says Fritz Meyer, senior market strategist at Invesco AIM.

Tough to Play Game When Rules Keep Changing

MF Global vice president Todd Colvin said investors find it difficult to trust the markets, with the wide daily swings, and what is needed most is some clarity from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department.

There's Profit in Energy — Old and New

Tina Vital of Standard & Poor's U.S. Equity Research said Barack Obama's emphasis on reducing domestic oil consumption does not bode well for energy producers or refiners, but she explains why she still recommends big-oil stocks like Exxon Mobil , Chevron , ConocoPhillips , Marathon , and Occidental Petroleum. John Quealy of Canaccord Adams said he favors new technology companies like Itron, Roper Industries and Telvent that may profit from moves toward alternative energy.

Protection from Protectionism is Good — But Not Enough

David Kotok of Cumberland Advisors said the markets ignored some good news from last weekend's G20 summit, with an agreement to avoid protectionist trade policies. Bank of America's Mickey Levy agreed that it was a good move, but stressed that most attention is now focused on helping auto companies stay solvent.

Auld 'Yang' Syne: A Brand New Yahoo for 2009?

Ben Schachter of UBS said Jerry Yang's fall from power at Yahoo revives a push for Microsoft to acquire all or part of the search giant, and his firm is bullish on Yahoo. But Click Capital Research's Colin Gillis noted that Yang remains on the Yahoo board, and the wait for a new CEO could further damage the company.

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