It goes against the grain, but free stock market recommendations are often the best stock market recommendations.

Investment writers and stock pickers, like everybody else, have to build a reputation. They have to grab your attention, make you sit up and think. And they do this buy giving out free stock market recommendations — often the best recommendations they have.

Here at ContrarianProfits.com, you’ll find a wealth of recommendations and investment ideas that cost you nothing except the time it takes you to read them. Here are some examples…

In our ETF section 12% Letter editor Tom Dyson, recommends cashing in on rising grain and livestock prices with two livestock ETFs that track the Dow Jones AIG sub-indexes for live cattle and hogs: CATL.L and HOGS.L.

In our International section Martin Hutchinson in Money Morning recommends two ways to profit form Japan and China’s recently forged trading alliance: Chinese automotive manufacturer Brilliance China Automotive Holdings (ADR: BCAHY). Brian says, “Brilliance China trades at a pricey 48 times earnings, as it has only recently returned to profitability in the highly competitive Chinese automotive market, but its long term prospects appear excellent.”

In Oil & Energy Brian Hunt of DailyWealth explains why investing in the oil services sector is a no-brainer. According to Brian: “When oil sells for $125 a barrel, it creates a two-pronged situation in the oil industry: 1) It encourages producers to turn on the pumps at full blast. This depletes fields faster… 2) It creates unbelievably large cash flows for the ‘biggies’ like Chevron, Gazprom, and ExxonMobil. And they can direct those cash flows toward finding more oil… It adds up to huge demand for pumps, drill steel, offshore platforms, pipelines, and valves.”

In Real Estate International Living’s Floyd Brown tells readers how to buy dollar bills for 67 cents, a piece that created huge buzz on the web. Brian recommends a hot REIT HRPT Properties Trust (NYSE: HRP). It traded as high as $13.40 in 2007. The huge drop in its share price since then does not change HRPT’s assets. Today you can own it for $7.34.

And in our US Stocks section you’ll find a tonne of free stock market recommendations, including what Ann Sosnowski of Taipan Daily calls “a perfect example of a ‘free money’ opportunity“: Hawaiian Airlines (HE:NYSE). Ann says, “At $50 per share, it’s a strong buy [...] Its debt is one-third of its assets, and it has very good leverage. Not to mention an annual dividend yield of 4.6%!”

For more free recommendations and ways to beat the market, feel free to explore our site. Who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch?