7 stocks to rev up your portfolio

You may be able to give your portfolio returns a boost by investing in certain large-company stocks -- that is, those that are selling at a discount or those that are expected to increase their earnings at a decent clip.

In general, value investing (buying beaten-down stocks that are poised to rebound) tends to outperform growth investing (buying firms with rapidly increasing earnings).

From 1928 to 2011, as a group, U.S. large value stocks delivered 10.8% average annual returns, vs. 8.7% for their growth counterparts. But this strategy requires guts and patience. And there are long stretches where the category lags, like the past 10 years.

So also cherry-picking the right growth stocks can add octane to your portfolio, without the risk of burnout. Here are some value picks from Wally Weitz, manager of Weitz Partners Value and some growth picks from Larry Puglia, manager of T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth.