Many reflections need to be considered as 2020 fades away and 2021 approaches. The COVID-19 pandemic’s deaths and illnesses are the top story, without question. Then there are the deep and painful recession and unemployment concerns, as well as the endless business closures. The bull market was ravaged into the fastest bear market in history. Somehow, someway, the stock market has managed to crawl back to all-time highs. Many investors missed the ride, and now it is time to consider what to expect from the markets in 2021.

24/7 Wall St. reviews many key analyst calls each weekday to find new ideas for traders and investors alike. Every December and the start of a new year bring an interesting view from analysts and economists looking to the coming year.

Credit Suisse has updated its “#1 Top Picks” list for December. Effectively, this is each analyst’s top picks from their individual coverage universes. Here we offer a brief note on each pick, and we have included recent trading history and used the Refinitiv consensus analyst target price for context.

This list included seven new companies, which means these are the newest top picks for 2021. Credit Suisse noted that every U.S. research analyst has identified a top stock pick based on a six-month to 12-month time horizon.

Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as the sole basis to buy or sell a stock. They should be considered among other reports, as well as fundamental and technical analysis, before any decisions are made. Don’t forget that the stock market is basically at all-time highs.

ChampionX Corp. (NYSE: CHX) stock traded down 4% on Wednesday to $13.25, in a 52-week range of $2.89 to $34.80. Analysts have a consensus price target of $15.91 for the stock.

ChampionX may be less known to many investors, but it is Credit Suisse’s preferred defensive small/midsize oilfield services pick. The company was described as having a high-quality portfolio with favorable costs and also having revenue growth opportunities despite a weak services outlook for peers.

Credit Suisse also mentioned that the company is considered to be more defensive from a product perspective and that should drive better performance over the next 12 months against peers.