(Business Edge columnist Gyle Konotopetz regularly profiles the top three stock picks of some of Canada's most accomplished investment pros.)

FEATURED PRO: Mal Spooner is CEO and portfolio manager of Mavrix Investment Management (mavrixfunds.com). The Toronto-based firm manages a series of 18 funds.

Fund Form: The Mavrix Canadian Strategic Equity Fund has a three-year annualized return of -1.6 per cent compared to the group average of 7.2 per cent.

Management Expense Ratio: 2.93 per cent.

Mal Spooner

Spooner's Perspective: "Longer term, I'm getting more and more optimistic about the stock market. Earnings, by and large, have been good, which is what it's all about these days. So I suspect that after the dust settles in the next few weeks, the stock market will start to head toward new highs for the rest of this year. As the North American economy continues to grow, stock prices will just follow suit.

"We've been recently having a bit of a selloff in materials stocks, particularly in Canada, which presents an opportunity that I didn't expect.

"I also think that continued growth in China and the rest of the developing world is going to continue to fuel the resource sector and, if I'm right and the Canadian dollar starts to depreciate relative to the U.S. dollar, that will be a windfall for the resource sector."

First Star

* Alcan (TSX:AL)

* Recent Price: $47.80.

* 52-Week Range: $46.55-$66.08.

* Spooner's 12-Month Target: $55. 

* Snapshot: Alcan is the world's second-largest producer of primary aluminum and a global provider of products for the aerospace, automobile and beverage can industries.

* CEO: Travis Engen.

* Head Office: Montreal.

* Vital Stats: Current Price/Earnings Ratio, 17.4; Revenue (last 12 mos), $28.9 billion; 5-Yr Revenue Growth, 16.8 per cent; Earnings (last 12 mos), $976 million; Market Cap, $17.64 billion; Shares Outstanding, 369 million; Dividend Yield, 1.50 per cent.

* Spooner's View: "The spinoff of Novelis by Alcan is not well understood by the market, in my opinion. What Alcan has done is unload an awful lot of debt and a very capital- intensive business with very skinny margins. Alcan's stock has kind of suffered as a result of that, but what you have now is a healthier Alcan. I believe the new Alcan will be making a lot more money than the old Alcan. Furthermore, the demand for raw aluminum is still very strong."

* Spooner's Risk Rating: Low.

* Web Watch: www.alcan.com

Second Star

* Nortel Networks (TSX:NT)

* Recent Price: $3.76.

* 52-Week Range: $3.49-$11.94.

* Spooner's 12-Month Target: $5.

* Snapshot: Nortel is global communications technology company that provides solutions for various applications, including broadband wireless, voice-over IP and multimedia.

* CEO: Bill Owens.

* Head Office: Brampton.

* Vital Stats: Revenue (last 12 mos), $13.1 billion; 5-Yr Revenue Growth, -16 per cent; Earnings (last 12 mos), $574 million; Market Cap, $16 billion; Shares Outstanding, 4.3 billion.

* Spooner's View: "I think that stocks that have suffered the most over the past several years, especially in the technology space, are going to start providing some leadership in the market - and the name I'm getting more excited about every minute is Nortel. Most of the baggage, if you like, is behind them now and, going forward, the company continues to be in the right mid-cycle space.

"I like the joint venture Nortel has signed with China Putian Corp. to work together in the 3G (third-generation) wireless area. That 3G (technology) is an area where Nortel has to catch up."

* Spooner's Risk Rating: High.

* Web Watch: www.nortel.com

Third Star

* West 49 (TSX:WXX)

* Recent Price: $1.05.

* 52-Week Range: $0.75-$1.05.

* 12-Month Target: $2.

* Snapshot: West 49 is a retailer of apparel, footwear and accessories geared toward the skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing crowd.

* CEO: Salvatore Baio.

* Head Office: Burlington.

* Vital Stats: Revenue (last 12 mos), $3.3 million; 5-Yr Revenue Growth, 16.5 per cent; Earnings (last 12 mos), $300,000; Market Cap, $78.18 million; Shares Outstanding, 74.46 million.

* Spooner's View: "This is a very cool store and the management team is outstanding and have a very big stake in the company, which is always a good sign. They've only been public for a little while so they're not really well followed. It's kind of under the 'unknown and undiscovered' category.

"I like the target market of kids aged 10-18. The reason you go there is because the kids want to go there and the parents aren't very price- sensitive. If the kid wants it, he gets it."

* Spooner's Risk Rating: Medium.

* Web Watch: www.west49.com

Spooner's Edge Record (past 12 mos): +7.4 per cent. Best Pick: IPSCO (TSX:IPS) +112.4 per cent. Worst Pick: Zarlink (TSX:ZL) -53.5 per cent.

Disclosure: Spooner personally owns shares in the Mavrix funds in which the featured stocks are held.