investment strategist sam stovall thinks the market will be choppy in the next few months, but he says long-term investors can still make money. >> if you're looking for a sector play and you're looking 12 months down the road, we would focus on the later cycle performers because we don't think we're headed into a new recession. >> suzanne: for stovall, that means choosing stocks in groups like energy, industrials and consumer staples. on wall street right now, those defensive areas are popular with many investment pros. strategist mike ryan also likes consumer staples for their dividend growth and large footprint outside the u.s., and he thinks healthcare stocks are a safe bet because of their price. >> it's one of the most cheap, defensive sectors we see out there right now. it's trading at levels that suggest to us that even if we simply see status quo with the profit picture within that sector, you're likely to see a re-rating. so, healthcare is well- positioned from a valuation standpoint. >> suzanne: other experts prefer to view the stock market with a measuring tape rather then

sector guru sam stovall agrees investors should underweight the financial sector, but he also says watch out for consumer discretionary stocks such as retail and restaurants. >> i think right now the momentum, the reasons for concern, the eroding fundamentals are certainly there for financials, as well as concern about the consumer discretionary should gasoline prices remain fairly high and debt levels remain a big concern. >> reporter: other market pros say investors should steer clear of companies that might already have a lot of debt. strategist jim awad explains those stocks will fall faster as the economy slows. >> i would sell stocks of companies that would suffer if the u.s. went into a double dip or a sustained period of low growth. so, you would sell cyclical stocks in the united states. you would sell small-cap stocks in the united states, you would sell companies with leveraged balance sheets. >> reporter: these recommendations are based on the assumption the u.s. economy is slowing down. if that forecast changes, experts say so will their advice to investors. suzanne pratt, "