Bullish Spring: Top 5 Stock Ideas (HD, LOW, DE, MON, POT, PBR, OXY, F)

1.) Retail With a long a heavy winter, consumer-spending habits will show a bright side along with the warmer weather. Couple this with an improved economic outlook and this should boost retail stocks. The ones to concentrate on will correlate directly with the season. Even without a positive trajectory of consumer spending, seasonal stocks such as Home Depot HD and Lowes LOW may jump. 2.) Harvesting The spring season produces peak sales for companies like John Deere DE and Monsanto MON, but wheat sales have made it a unique buying opportunity. With wheat sales looking to dramatically increase, according to Bloomberg, companies harvesting the commodity should have a solid chance to benefit. 3.) Fertilizer April showers bring May flowers; along with increased output from fertilizer companies. The season to plant agricultural products also acts as a catalyst for companies that help them grow. Look for global leaders such as Potash of Saskatchewan POT that are positioned to take advantage of sunny days. 4.) Energy Energy stocks are usually a favorite when it comes to this time of year with 2011 being no exception. We are seeing crude oil prices hitting highs with no end in sight. Energy companies may see some positive results along with the changing weather. Here are some of Goldman's best energy stocks according to Thestreet.com; Ensco ESV, Petrobras PBR, Occidental Petroleum OXY. 5.) Auto For this last one I will take a bit of a jump in theory and talk directly about this Spring. The recent short and cold days beat up consumer's vehicles quite a bit. Coming out of a “winter's recession”, consumers will be looking to open up that new sunroof. Picking the right car company will be key. Look for strong earnings and public sentiment when buying a stock. Ford F seems to have both going in its favor.