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TransCanada Corp.'s (TRP) shares, first recommended on May 11, 2009, at a price of $26.56, have pulled back, and the dip represents a buy opportunity, which is why I'm reiterating my buy rating for the stock.

TransCanada is natural gas play with promise: it's a natural gas transmission and storage company that also owns oil assets and electric power generation assets (including 19 wholly-owned power plants). A solid $1.45 annual dividend adds to the positive story.

If, in fact, jobless claims have peaked, that's good news for payroll services specialist Automatic Data Processing (ADP), and that's one reason I'm reiterating my buy rating for the company's shares, first recommended on June 22, 2009 at a price of $36.84. If you bought ADP in June, you're up about 20%.

Despite the worst recession in more than 25 years – one that has devastated payrolls – ADP has held its own, with its stock price this year recovering about one-half its loss following the drop from its peak in 2007.

Tyson Foods' (TSN) stock has meandered since first recommended on May 11, 2009 at a price of $12.35, but I'm sticking with the stock. Here's why:

First, Tyson has the product diversity to adjust to increasingly demanding, educated U.S. consumers, who may, for example, favor chicken over pork one month, then do an end-run and return to red meat when steak prices drop.

"The uncertain market has changed our risk appetite and shifted our focus to stocks deemed safe enough for even the most conservative investors," says Jonas Elmerraji.

The editor of The Rhino Stock Report suggests, "Among them are regulated utilities, including our latest recommendation -- NRG Energy (NRG), which is involved in wholesale power generation.

"Investors have long favored utilities for a few very good reasons: predictable, recession-resistant revenues; steady streams of dividends; and government-sanctioned monopolies. They're a safe haven for stressed investors in the midst of a recession.

"Suddenly, no one likes Research in Motion (RIMM) any more, at least that's the impression you get from the media," observes Gordon Pape. In his Internet Wealth Builder, he offers a contrary -- and bullish -- view of the smartphone maker.

"To hear some analysts tell it, the BlackBerry maker is going the way of Nortel. It's just a matter of time. For example, analyst Jim Suva of Citigroup Global Markets recently issued a sell signal on the shares, saying that RIM's long-time dominance of the smart phones market is over.

"For the record, many analysts disagree with Suva's assessment. Credit Suisse has reiterated its 'outperform' rating with a target price of $95. Bank of America/Merrill Lynch has a $100 target, Scotia Capital has a $103 target and CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets has a target of $100.

One can look at likely rising oil and gasoline prices one of two ways. You can get frustrated, or you can profit from it by buying Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB), which is why I'm reiterating my buy rating for the company, first recommended on May 6, 2009 at a price of $56.09. If you bought SLB in May, you're up about 18%.

Some in the oil sector remain concerned about the recovery in demand for oilfield services. Based on the growth track for emerging markets, that concern is not warranted: the natural gas segment may encounter some head-winds, near-term, because in that energy commodity, the glut of supply has actually been matched by a low price. But oil? Forget about it. Business is booming: the supply glut of oil has done little to lower its price, which shows one the many roles oil plays (alternative asset, inflation hedge, weak dollar hedge) in the modern economy, to Schlumberger's benefit. The First Call FY2009/FY2010 EPS estimates for SLB are $2.71 to $2.81.

Fourteen stocks have been reviewed so far with eight of them potential contenders for 2010. These include some picks from 2009, some old dependables and a few more on the speculative side.

During the year I have written on occasion about selling put options (naked puts) because the premiums offered were very generous and from my perspective assumed market collapse. This was reflected in my July post Serious Money: The world's dumbest market

Today I am considering four naked puts and two more stocks. The options are all based on stocks now in review.

Avon Products (AVP) has broken through key resistance at $33, hence I'm removing my hold on the company's shares, first recommended on May 6, 2009 at a price of $23.12. If you bought in May, you're up about 50%.

Still, it should be noted that this is probably the last opportunity to buy Avon shares and earn an outsized gain during the current economic expansion, as a $50-55 top for AVP is seen.

It goes without saying that I favor the electric power generation sector, and among them, fewer are steadier than Connecticut-based Northeast Utilities (NU), hence I'm reiterating my buy rating for the company, first recommended on May 6, 2009 at a price of $21.48.

Don't look for mega revenue growth or gargantuan customer gains with NU, just predictable, steady earnings growth, evenly split between the company's generating/distribution business and its transmission business; look for the company's transmission sector to play an increasing role in revenue growth, moving forward. NU serves about 1.9 million customers, primarily in Connecticut, but also in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says it's not too late to get on board these rocket ships.

During the great narrow bull market that was 2006-2007, anyone who hitched a ride on any bulk or oil carrier, any DryShips (DRYS) (Cramer's Take) or Diana (DSX) (Cramer's Take), or any Frontline (FRO) (Cramer's Take) or Nordic American Tanker (NAT) (Cramer's Take), or anyone who bought anything ag-related -- Deere (DE) (Cramer's Take), Monsanto (MON) (Cramer's Take), Potash (POT) (Cramer's Take) -- looked like a genius.

Beginning midyear last year, you looked like a moron.

Based on its decent Q3 performance and the 2010 outlook for the U.S./global economies, I'm reiterating my buy rating for General Cable Corporation (BGC), first recommended on May 5, 2009, at a price of $34.59.

General Cable, which develops, designs, manufactures, and distributes copper, aluminum, and fiber optic wire and cable products for the communications, energy and electrical markets, reported Q3 EPS of 55 cents, above the First Call Q3 EPS estimate of 53 cents. However, General Cable gave up yearly gains because it announced a Q4 production cut -- one that will likely weigh on Q4 earnings.

Daniel Frishberg -- a former Wall Street insider and the current host of BizRadio -- offers an intriguing glimpse behind the scenes of the gold market.

In his The Moneyman.com Gold & Oil Report, he questions the role of not just overall market fundamentals, but short positions held by institutions. He also looks to a new long positions in silver.

Frishberg explains, "There are plenty of reasons to be bullish on the future of gold prices, including a weak US dollar. Further, India's Central Bank recently announced their purchase of gold from the IMF. Russian and Chinese Central Bankers have also expressed an interest in purchasing the remaining IMF gold.

U.S. electric power demand may be sluggish, due to the recession, but investors should view that as a temporary phenomenon. True, increased energy efficiency across the U.S. economy will be a trend for the next decade and beyond, but relatively low-cost electric power does not go out of style, which is why I'm reiterating my buy rating for American Electric Power Inc. (AEP), first recommended on May 4, 2009 at a price of $25.38.

If you bought AEP in May, you're up about 25%. AEP's above-average total return on equity story remains intact. Look for an increase in retail electric demand in F2010, and that fact, combined with a decline in operating/maintenance costs, and little impact from greenhouse gas legislation until about 2018 or 2020, translates into a bargain stock at a P/E of 12.

"The hands-down choice for growth in the insurance sector is in China, where the industry is just getting off the ground." says says growth stock expert Timothy Lutts.

In The Cabot Stock of the Month Report, he suggests, "CNinsure (CISG) is the king of the Chinese insurance industry. We believe the stock most attractive insurance industry investment in China today.

"When properly managed, a property and casualty insurance company is an excellent vehicle for participating in a region's growth. However, the average age of top insurance companies in the U.S. is 108 years and their assets of the U.S. are growing slowly.

With American Express Co., (AXP), it's best to look down the field, i.e. think long-term, which is why I'm reiterating my Buy rating for the company, first recommended on April 27, 2009 at a price of $27.28. If you bought AXP in April, you're up about 51%.

As forecast, institutional investors (IIs) have looked right past AXP's likely double-digit revenue decline for 2009, to the probable sunnier skies in 2010. In the year ahead, charge-offs should continued to stabilize, amid slowing delinquencies.