Many consumer analysts closely watched retail sales from "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" to see what sort of mood shoppers would be in this holiday season. Jolly or not, consumer spending is one of the biggest economic engines fueling our economy.

This year, U.S. retail sales increased 2.5% for the week after Thanksgiving. Online visits to retailer websites on Black Friday increased 10% from last year, and "Cyber Monday" brought in $733 million—up 21% from the same day one year ago.

This bodes well for the U.S. economy as we approach year-end, because the National Retail Federation says that sales in November and December typically represent 20% of retailers' annual revenue.

Stocks: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

So how do you invest in a market where shoppers seem willing to spend, oil prices are all over the board and no one seems to be excited about falling interest rates?

If you're comfortable with your current holdings and want to simply ride through the rest of the year, that's fine and dandy, but I would suggest picking up extra shares for the short-term to give yourself that nice holiday bonus you deserve. Then, consider investing in these two emerging industries for that well deserved portfolio pick-me-up.

Stay Warm with Solar Energy Stocks

One way you can give your portfolio the bonus it deserves is by going solar. Solar energy is going to be one of the hottest trends for years to come and help to heat up your portfolio in the dead of winter.

Looking for a global leader in solar energy? This alternative energy power play made new highs earlier this month while the rest of the market sold off. In the last 30 days alone, shares are up a hot 20%! And recently, this China-based company reported third-quarter earnings that nearly doubled.

Robert Hsu, president of Absolute Return Capital Advisors LLC., and the editor of China Strategy, expects this solar manufacturer to continue growing at a rapid pace due to strong demand, rising capacity, increased silicon supplies and recent agreements to further diversify its polysilicon supply sources.

Cash in on China's Expedia

Before you pack your bags and head to the land of the rising sun for the 2008 Summer Olympics, you may want to buy some stock in what Robert Hsu calls the "Expedia of China."

This online travel services provider bounced almost 8% in this month's market jump, and Hsu is expecting more gains leading up to the Chinese New Year in early 2008—as China's citizens rush to book travel arrangements for the holiday and the 2008 Olympics.

Last month, this company also inked a deal with Baidu, China's largest Internet search engine, to create an online hotel search service. The stock has already handed Hsu's China Strategy members gains of more than 160%, and he expects more where that came from!

So, as you prepare to make your list and check it twice, don't forget to give your portfolio the year-end holiday bonus it deserves. Think of it as the ultimate gift… that pays you back!

Now you can read the December issue of Robert Hsu's China Strategy on his subscriber-only website!  In it, he talks about his recent trip to China and what he learned firsthand about two of the companies in his portfolio. He visited the headquarters of his healthcare play (up more than 140% so far!) as well as the offices of his education company (up over 200%!). Click here to join China Strategy now and be among the first to learn what Robert Hsu discovered about these two money doublers! Plus, learn about his exclusive meeting with a China fund manager and how to evaluate a stock's P/E ratio! Don't miss out!