Gene Marcial, Business Week’s Guru, who claims to have beaten the market for many years came out with his top picks for the 8/11 issue:

1. APPLE

a. People are overreacting to rumors about Steve Job’s health

b. iPhone will be the “next driver for Apple’s continued growth.”

2. BROWN & BROWN

a. Some investors who have made a killing in oil are starting to switch into beaten-down financial stocks.

b. shares have dropped to 17, down from nearly 30 a year ago.

c. recovery in the insurance business, badly hurt by the housing meltdown, and an industry consolidation, where Brown will be a likely buyout target.

3. POLYCOM

a. The market for videoconferencing equipment should grow to a record $5 billion in five years

b. Polycom makes a line of video, voice, and Web conferencing gear. “It is the No. 1 pure play in videoconferencing, which is benefiting from the high cost of travel because of rocketing fuel prices”.

c. Polycom is a global leader in an industry that should “exhibit solid growth over the next several years”.

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