Top 10 for 2009: The Final Five

In part one of my list of 10 bargains for 2009, I recommended Atlas Air (AAWW - commentary - Cramer's Take), Brink's (BCO - commentary - Cramer's Take), Harmon (HAR - commentary - Cramer's Take), Office Depot (ODP - commentary - Cramer's Take) and USG (USG - commentary - Cramer's Take). Below, these five bargains complete my list.

CarMax (KMX - commentary - Cramer's Take): Wouldn't it be cool if you identified a paradigm-changer in retail, like a Dell (DELL - commentary - Cramer's Take) or a Wal-Mart (WMT - commentary - Cramer's Take), in its early days? Here's your chance. Study this model so you fully appreciate the company's enduring competitive moat, then load up on the stock. I recommended the stock in a November column at $8.36; yesterday it closed at $7.44. It's worth over $20 right now, and the intrinsic value should grow to 10 times the current quote over the next five to seven years.

Textron (TXT - commentary - Cramer's Take): At $3 billion, this is the largest company by market capitalization on my list. Textron is a conglomerate, with a large percentage of sales coming from aircraft (Cessna) and defense, including Bell helicopters. With yesterday's close of $12.75, down from $70 at the beginning of 2008, the stock discounts a horrible economy two or three times over. Do the slice-and-dice dance here and you'll arrive at operating metrics that justify a stock quote of $25 to $30 per share.

Expedia (EXPE - commentary - Cramer's Take): Down from over $30 at the beginning of the year, I originally recommended this online travel business in a mid-October column at $10.72; yesterday it closed at $7.50. Far and away number one in its category, this is a model that will endure and thrive in the years to come. While it's reasonable to expect a bumpy ride in the short term, it's also reasonable to expect a return to $30 per share over the next two to three years.

Raymond James Financial (RJF - commentary - Cramer's Take): Down from a high of $38, the stock of this regional broker closed yesterday at $16.30. You should make 50% fairly quickly on this stock, as brokers invariably lead the way out of bear markets. Within a couple of years, I expect it will double.

Mueller Water Products (MWA - commentary - Cramer's Take). At yesterday's close of $6.96, the stock of this water infrastructure company is amazingly cheap. It's the no. 1 or 2 player in the bulk of the markets it competes, and the stock will at least double over the next couple of years.

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At time of publication, Alsin and/or ACM was long MWA, EXPE, KMX, ODP, HAR, USG, DELL, WMT, AAWW and BCO, although holdings can change at any time.

Arne Alsin is the founder and principal of Alsin Capital Management, a California-based investment adviser. Under no circumstances does the information in this column represent a recommendation to buy or sell stocks. Alsin appreciates your feedback; click here to send him an email.