Economists may be writing off the economy, but investors shouldn’t write off the stock market. Stocks start to recover a good six months before the economy does, and that means investors should see stocks moving up solidly very soon. It’s unlikely that equities will enjoy a repeat of the mass revival of 2009, but here are my picks for stocks that should prosper in 2010 even if the markets don’t.

MasterCard – With an estimated 725 million people using its services, MasterCard is benefiting from the long-term switch to plastic. The number of sales using a MasterCard has actually increased during the recession. With the company’s success, it’s little surprise that shares have run up from $119 to $230.

Qualcomm – Qualcomm’s technology is already ubiquitous. An estimated one-third of the world’s cell phones have Qualcomm chips in them, and the company earns royalties on nearly every new phone made for fast-growing 3G networks. As the industry prepares for a new surge, Qualcomm is primed to mint money.

Baxter – Baxter makes a wide range of indispensable medical products which are likely to prosper regardless of potential changes like cost cutting or increased generic drug use. The company has delivered double-digit annual earnings growth over the past five years, and a deep pipeline of innovative products ready to hit the market.

Quanta Services – The recession delayed countless projects intended to upgrade America’s aging power grid. But now the federal government is unleashing billions for smart-grid and renewable-energy projects, and Quanta Services is positioned to benefit.

Salesforce.com – The popularity of “software as a service” is white-hot these days, and no provider is more identified with the business of renting software via the Internet (rather than selling and installing it on a company’s servers) than Salesforce.com.

American Tower – The company’s business model is simple: It owns 26,000 towers around the world and leases space to carriers, who sign multiyear contracts that come with annual price escalators. Because of zoning laws, American Tower controls large territories without threat of competition.

View a previously written post by Mouli Cohen about the stock market