Consumer Goods

Radical changes to working patterns and commuting are needed to cut road congestion according to business leaders.

Big Lots (BIG) reports on Monday, March 1, and there is a very good likelihood the stock will rise on the earnings news. This is an options trade recommendation to profit from the expected move in the stock.

Simon Property Group Inc., the nation's largest shopping mall owner, made a $10 billion hostile bid Tuesday to acquire ailing rival General Growth Properties.

Canadian fertilizer giant Agrium (NYSE:AGU) reported fourth-quarter earnings below expectations. Yet, for 2010 and beyond the company sees greener grass. The 2007 and 2008 strong planting years led to record fertilizer prices which have fallen dramatically since. Yet Agrium’s favorable 2010 outlook is providing a lift to all the major fertilizer players.

Tantillo contrasts Toyota's branding strategy with Ford and GM's--which helps them prevent damage from one model (brand) of car from spilling out to harm the others...as has happened with Toyota's recall.

While the strategy is most popular for finding attractively priced small-cap stocks, Magic Formula Investing can also dig up the best and cheapest of the blue chips. Here are 5 interesting large-caps currently making the cut.

Reynolds American is a maker of popular cigarette brands like Camel and snuff brands such as Kodiak. The investment's main attraction is a big, stable 7% dividend yield, but is this enough over a one year target holding period?

I was jumping through financial news yesterday and some interesting news on Crocs (CROX) had caught my eye.

Since reaching its peak of $75 in 2007 and living in the basement of $1 just a year later, quietly the footwear company has climbed its way back up to $7 over the last 6 months. Now I’m starting to consider whether it should still be in my dog house.

Weight Watchers is a very profitable company with a well established brand and differentiated product. The stock is cheap and pays a respectable dividend. The one major concern is a huge debt load which leaves the company little wiggle room for mistakes.

Paranormal Activity earns great success after smart marketing of a strong brand.
Frosty the Inappropriate Snowman...a branding fiasco of all four brands.

Yes, it's the company that sponsors the hot dog eating contest. It's also a Magic Formula small-cap stock worth biting into, with a cheap valuation, good business model, and strong balance sheet.

It's Black Friday, time to start the holiday shopping. For any investors on your list (including yourself), here is a list of holiday gift ideas they will love.

Amazing how quickly the year has passed us by. The holiday season is here, and its time to buy gifts, while most stores will continue to see slumping numbers through the season, here are 6 retailers I believe are best poised to rise from the ashes this winter.

Time Warner's transformation is creating a very attractive pure content play going forward, and looks quite undervalued given the quality of the business.

It seems like winter hits and suddenly the good times are behind us. Whether this is just a mild pullback or another prolonged bearish run, the fact remains that, as the holiday season is upon us, more and more people will begin to feel the crunch.