According to a recent survey, wealthy U.S. investors are the most optimistic than they've been in months. And of those looking to invest more in the stock market, they have several clear ideas on where they'd like to place their bets.

"Few people know exactly how long it will take Japan to recover and rebuild," one expert says. But if you have patience, here are a few long-term investing plays to consider as the Asian nation looks to recover from its worst natural disaster in decades.

Warren Buffett recently said he was anxious to pull the trigger on another large deal. Sheldon Liber, who correctly predicted some of Buffett's earlier acquisitions, writes about which company Buffett could acquire next. You heard it here first.

As America faces the dual challenges of reining in crippling tuition costs while significantly increasing the number of college graduates receiving a quality education, APEI's American Public University System (APUS) has found a business model that accomplishes both goals -- and shareholders should benefit.

While the grocery store business is intensely competitive, Safeway's margins should increase in 2011, due to an improved product mix and, hopefully, a rebounding economy.

As Amazon invests more in its business, its expenses have risen, putting a dent in earnings and sending its shares south. For many investors, this could be exactly the right time to buy shares.

Many investors look at a slew of financial data and ratios to figure out which stocks will offer the best returns. While no one discounts the value of in-depth research, there is one ingredient that is often overlooked -- yet it's the key to outperformance.

Europe is struggling with bloated deficits and austerity measures that are creating political unrest and discord. At risk is the very fiber of cooperation and teamwork that is the central tenant of the European Union.

Noted economist Gary Shilling says with U.S. consumers continuing their saving spree, repaying debts and remaining hesitant to spend like they did during the boom times, a meaningful economic recovery in the U.S may not materialize anytime soon.

In the 1967 movie, The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman was advised that the future was in plastics. Today, that future looks even brighter due to a new generation of green chemical additives that make polyvinyl chloride fully biodegradable.