Five Spot: Legg Mason Bets on Renewables

BALTIMORE (TheStreet) -- Brian Angerame, manager of the Legg Mason Partners Capital Fund(SACPX), says Shaw Group(SGR) and Covanta(CVA) are attractive long-term stock picks as America focuses on renewable energy.

The fund, which gets Morningstar's second-highest rating of four stars, has risen 15% this year, better than 99% of its peers. Over three years, the Legg Mason Partners Capital Fund has lost an annual average of 8.1%, compared with a drop of 9.5% for rivals.

Welcome to TheStreet.com's Fund Manager Five Spot, where America's top mutual fund managers give their best stock picks in five fast and furious questions.

Are you bullish or bearish?

Angerame:We are bullish because we are still finding stocks to own. That said, we do not have high hopes for the market as a whole over the next quarter or two. The market had a strong rally driven by the healing of the credit market and the "green shoots" which began to appear in the early spring.

In order to have a strong rally from here, we are going to need to see some of those green shoots flower and bear fruit. That will be difficult while corporations are right-sizing their businesses and consumers are paying down debt. Longer-term, we believe that individuals and corporations with better balance sheets will be better consumers and borrowers, and that will be healthy for the U.S. economy and the U.S. equity market.

What is your top stock pick?

Angerame:Shaw Group is an engineering and construction company that does everything from rebuilding the levees in New Orleans, to bending pipe for refineries and power plants. Shaw will benefit from the resurgence in demand for nuclear power both here and abroad. We didn't buy the shares because Shaw will be helped by the Obama administration, but more than likely, nuclear will be part of the plan to meet the world's renewable energy needs.