Stock Picks: Energy, Steel, Fast Food & More

To give investors an edge in this volatile market, CNBC asked the pros for their best stock and sector picks now.

Fattening Up Your Portfolio

"We like the fast food names in restaurants. We think that's going to be pretty enviable growth in '09. The food cost pinch that these guys had here in the fourth quarter reminds us of some of the stuff you guys are seeing over in staple land with some of the staple companies having a lingering commodity impact...but the commodity drag will diminish, and you're going to see some acceleration in EPS growth for some of these staple-like demand companies like McDonald's , like Yum Brands , Burger King ."

David Palmer, UBS Senior Restaurant Analyst

Betting on Hard-Asset Stocks

"I'd buy Peabody (Energy) , I'd buy Nucor steel manufacturer...I think you've got to own beneficiaries of a reflating economy, particularly hard assets."

Gerald Jordan, Jordan Opportunity Fund

Jordan also likes: Abbott Laboratories , Genzyme and  Google

Best Sectors Now

"Right now we're leaving in healthcare, but backing off of that while raising our exposure to technology (and) just bought metals and mining, and we buy the ETFs, because you get a nice basket that way, not just one stock that might be the one that gets killed next, so that's a way to be a little safer. We also like coal, steel and...emerging markets are going to be the place to be I believe when the markets really begin to go again."

Harry Clark, Clark Capital Management Group

For additional stock picks, visit the CNBC.com Stock Blog.

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