Amid the continued swirl of political rhetoric and speculation about the likelihood and timing of a shoe dropping in the stock market, holiday sales prospects still look good. In an editor’s pick article for Friday’s TheStreet, Validea CEO John Reese discusses this season’s outlook and offers the following five stock picks that could make the ‘nice’ list:

• Apple (AAPL), maker of the Apple Watch, iPad, iPhone and Mac, among other technology products, earns high marks based on predictable and expanding earnings per share as well as favorable EPS growth. Average return on total capital over both the past three and 10 years is a sturdy 27%.

• Sony (SNE) designs, develops, manufactures and sells various kinds of electronic equipment, instruments and devices for consumer, industrial and professional markets, as well as game consoles and software. The company gets a thumb’s up for its price-sales ratio and modest debt level.

• Starbucks (SBUX) purchases and roasts coffee that it sells, along with tea, other beverages and a range of fresh food items, through company-operated stores as well as grocery and other stores. Our stock screening models give SBUX solid scores for its price-earnings ratio and sustainable earnings-per-share growth.

• VF Corp. (VFC) designs, manufactures, markets and distributes branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and related products with primary brands including The North Face, Timberland and Vans. The company’s predictable and stable EPS growth and favorable return on total capital pass our stock screening models. Management’s use of retained earnings reflects a return of 15%, adding interest.