The market is seriously volatile as we enter the latter stages of the Great Recession. I say "latter stages" because I'm confident our economy will eventually recover. There is just too much innovation and wide open markets for the market not to recover.
But the world of finances is going through a massive shift right now. I would say the markets are going through the biggest shift since the mid 1980s, when technology stocks starting coming to forefront and changing the way private equity flows. There are several industries to watch out for, and the sky's the limit on these growth markets.
1. Green/Renewable Energy: President Obama has called on massive government investment in green energy, including wind, solar, and geothermal options. So I would say "buy" for established companies that are expanding green energy, such as GE, First Solar, and Siemens. There are some excellent websites that are devoted to the subject of green energy, such as Seeking Alpha and Green Chips Stocks. Electric cars are hot commodities, too. Check 'em out!
2. Private Equity Companies. After the economy bottomed out last year, private equity firms such as The Blackstone Group, Carlyle, and Berkshire Hathaway took a serious hit. But now as the stock market is recovering, private equity firms are part of America's return to prosperity. For example, The Blackstone Group, led by Wall Street legend Stephen Schwarzman stumbled to an all-time low of 3.55...and now it's trading for nearly $15. And it's still proably going up. Even investment firm villain AIG, now helmed by Robert H. Benmosche is not doing too doing too badly. From a low of $3, it's now at a robust $28. Keep looking for private equity firms to make big gains in the year.
3. Technology Stocks: Companies like Dell, Microsoft, and Intel took a big hit during the Great Stock Crash. The companies remain profitable and stable, and were only innocent passerbys as their worthy stocks were dragged down. Now their stocks are recovering, and are still are a bargain.
In conclusion, I feel the stock market will continue to regain as the economy slowly gets back on its feet.
