realise that a child can gain more from Christmas stocks than toys. And while Bermudians can get great advice here at home, Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. chief investment strategist, Michael Metz, has suggested a list of useful stocking stuffers. "I would buy companies like Alcoa, Reynolds metals, shares in companies making international paper, some oil and gas companies,'' he said.

"I would also put some North American gold stocks there. "The great potential for affluence in the world is being built up in the Orient. That's where the big exponential growth and demand for gold will be, so I would put into the stocking stuffer something like Home Stake (Royalty Corp.) or Santa Fe Gold. "I would also put in a German closed end fund, because I think Germany is a great place to be over the next few years. And for a little income I would put in some Brady bonds. In my opinion I would use maybe Venezuela or Argentina. The great growth is not information technology stocks, but medical technology. I would probably put in some closed-in or some no-load medical health or biotechnology fund.''