In 2009, investors will get a second chance at a massive growth story, says Lynn Carpenter. Starbucks (NYSE:SBUX) is down over 50% this year, but with founder Howard Schultz back in charge, it is likely to recover its momentum in the New Year. Lynn says investors could double their money with Starbucks within a year.

As times change, so do trends. In the old days, the louder and more powerful your car, the better. Now, green is the name of the game and everyone wants to drive super quiet, efficient hybrids.

This is one Bank Holiday that retailers won’t be looking forward to. Rising mortgage bills, fuel costs, and food bills are really starting to bite out there on the High Street.

I ripped into the Wall Street Journal last week in my blog. In a front-page article, it decried the “downside” of hospitals popping up all over the country at a time when our factories are slowly but surely disappearing.

“The rise in consumer credit delinquencies is consistent with a rapidly slowing economy. Stress in the housing market still dominates the story, but it’s a broader tale.” James Chessen, ABA Chief Economist.

Starbucks (SBUX) CEO Howard Schultz recently announced that the company would start offering energy drinks in its stores. He also mentioned that Starbucks would be getting into the “health and wellness business.” Yep, you read that correctly. A coffee chain wants to break into the health business.

This from MarketWatch:

Concerns about the impact of the credit crisis and the weak economy will come into sharp focus next week, with investors set for a flood of earnings from ailing financials as well as the technology sector.

Earnings results in focus include financials Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Washington Mutual and tech bellwethers Intel and Google.