Uh oh. The stock market's big swings last week pushed up the S&P VIX -- the "investor fear gauge" -- by 30%. In such times, stocks with low beta (less volatile than the S&P 500 average), above-par performance and compelling valuations can be the ticket. Here are some to consider.

Continue reading Five Steady Stocks for a Newly Volatile Market

Five Steady Stocks for a Newly Volatile Market originally appeared on DailyFinance on Mon, 03 May 2010 06:30:00.

Fund manager Marc Heilweil is an old-school investor who usually outperforms the competition by using his instincts -- not spreadsheets crammed with numbers -- to spot good companies at those rare times when they are trading cheaply.

Continue reading Fund Focus: Marc Heilweil's Five-Star Instinct Beats the Spreadsheets

Fund Focus: Marc Heilweil's Five-Star Instinct Beats the Spreadsheets originally appeared on DailyFinance on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:00:00.

No, Seattle-based Starbucks won't be adopting a comprehensive recycling plan -- only 11% of shareholders voted for that. The global coffee shop chain, which has been spending much of its marketing money on promoting its "Shared Planet" initiatives lately, believes it's doing enough.

Continue reading Starbucks Is Trashing Its Green Image

Starbucks Is Trashing Its Green Image originally appeared on DailyFinance on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:00:00.

Continue reading Stocks in the News: Goldman Sachs, UnitedHealth, IBM

Stocks in the News: Goldman Sachs, UnitedHealth, IBM originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:45:00.

U.S. corporate dividends are showing a big turnaround just one year after recording their worst quarter in history. S&P reports that 399 companies added $6.4 billion to dividends in the first quarter. By contrast, 367 companies cut dividends by a record $43.8 billion a year ago.

Continue reading U.S. Firms' Dividends Up $6.4 Billion in First Quarter

U.S. Firms' Dividends Up $6.4 Billion in First Quarter originally appeared on DailyFinance on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:30:00.

Are people who eat lots of junk food addicts? A new study provides evidence that some people who consume a lot of junk food experience cravings much like drug addicts do, require increasingly larger amounts of food to feel good, and have an even harder time quitting.

Continue reading Study Says Junk Food Is as Addictive as Heroin or Cigarettes

Study Says Junk Food Is as Addictive as Heroin or Cigarettes originally appeared on DailyFinance on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:30:00.

For decades, the world took its cues from American consumers when it came to tastes, styles and prices. No longer. The Great Recession has brought a dramatic realignment from the U.S. to China and India, and that change is already sparking new business strategies in global companies.

Continue reading Consumer Power's Big Shift From the U.S. to China and India

Consumer Power's Big Shift From the U.S. to China and India originally appeared on DailyFinance on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:00:00.

PepsiCo.'s board approved a plan to raise its annual dividend by 7% and to buy back $15 billion in stock.

Continue reading Pepsi Board Approves Dividend Hike, $15 Billion Buyback

Pepsi Board Approves Dividend Hike, $15 Billion Buyback originally appeared on DailyFinance on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:18:00.

Although the OJ industry has said the January cold wave didn't do as much harm as everyone feared, Tropicana is shrinking some OJ packages and raising prices on others. What are the odds it'll reverse those moves when the next crop comes at typical levels?

Continue reading Tropicana: Squeezing Juicier Profits From Florida's Freeze

Tropicana: Squeezing Juicier Profits From Florida's Freeze originally appeared on DailyFinance on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:30:00.

Bottlers declared guidelines to cut sugary drinks in kids' diets a success, claiming a 95% drop in full-calorie sodas shipped to schools and a 72% cut in all drink types. Yet sales haven't suffered and childhood obesity and diabetes rates climb unabated. So what's happening to all that soda?

Continue reading Soda Makers Claim War on Sugary Drinks in Schools Is Won

Soda Makers Claim War on Sugary Drinks in Schools Is Won originally appeared on DailyFinance on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:00:00.