In his latest Forbes column, John W. Rogers Jr. says that while pessimism remains in the market, he’s generally upbeat.

“I am optimistic about the economy and the stock market in 2011 — although my expectations are more tempered than before,” Rogers writes. “The management teams I talk to every day have real conviction that their businesses have stabilized and are growing. Corporations are sitting on the largest mountain of cash ever, and eventually they will have to put it to work. They can reinvest in their businesses, make acquisitions, pay down or restructure debt, buy back shares or pay dividends. It’s all good for the market.”

Rogers also offers three picks, focusing on firms that didn’t get much of a boost in the early part of the recovery, making them very cheap right now, he says. Among them: security expert Brinks.