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The article evaluates several stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Officials of 3M, manufacturer of Scotch tape, sealants and orthodontic appliances, lowered their forecast for 2013 profits and raised the quarterly dividend each year for the past 55 years. Other stocks evaluated include Chevron, General Electric, Cisco Systems, International Business Machines (IBM), Pfizer and United Technologies. INSET: The Dow's Funky Math.

The article discusses three strategies for building wealth. For those interested in owning their own business, a high-risk approach would be to start one, while a lower-risk initiative involves developing a product for sale to retailers. Other strategies discussed include investing in stocks and real estate. INSETS: WRITE A BOFFO BUSINESS PLAN;Barking Up the Right Tree;THE MIDDLE GROUND;Staying the Course Through Ups and Downs/Flipping for Profit

The article explains how investors can utilize exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to boost returns and hedge their bets. ETFs are mutual funds that trade on exchanges as stocks do. According to the author, ETFs are arguably the most successful financial product in recent history with investors around the world holding more than 1.3 trillion in ETFs. The author adds that ETS give investors more control over their taxes.

The article discusses how to construct an investment portfolio to suit one's particular needs. Basic principles include clearly identifying an investment objective and time horizon, and deciding how much risk one is comfortable with. Among the securities a diversified portfolio can be built from are large- and small-capitalization stocks, U.S. government bonds, and real estate investment trusts. Several model portfolios are presented including those for a young person, a couple nearing retirement, and a retiree.

The article presents information on company stocks that would fit the criteria of investor Warren Buffett. One of these companies is Tiffany & Co. which has been building the brand since 1837, the same year Tiffany introduced the blue box. Another company cited is Paychex with whom businesses outsource their payrolls. Buffett might also consider the company Mohawk Industries, according to the article.

The article presents information on balanced funds, mutual funds that usually invest 60 percent in stocks and 40 percent in bonds. The fund is focused on buying low stocks and selling them high. Three balanced funds are Vanguard Wellington, T. Rowe Price Personal Strategy Balanced and Oakmark Equity & Income I.

The article looks at retailers' stocks that investors in the U.S. might add in their best-performing stock lists. Wal-Mart Stores tops the list as it continues to create new businesses with ease. Being the largest retailer in the world it can cut costs to keep the prices of its products low. Another retailer is Amazon.com which became the world's largest online retailer that offer everything. Other retailers worth noting are Best Buy and Bath & Beyond.

The article discusses the growth prospects of small companies and the long-term returns that can be gained from them. According to the author, micro-cap stocks have delivered a historical return of 14 percent annualized as compared to big companies' 10 percent gain. Micro-cap stocks that are cited include Royce Micro-Cap, Aegis Value, Oberweiss Micro-Cap, and Bridgeway Ultra-Small Company Market

The article considers shares of consumer-electronics producer Apple as an investment. Since introducing its iPhone 5 smartphone, Apple has seen its stock price decline 16%. The author notes arguments put forth by both skeptics and enthusiasts about the stock, and suggests that Apple's shares are attractively priced.

The article discusses value traps, or stocks with attractively low prices that fail to rise much. Financial services firm Citigroup Inc. during early 2008 is a good example of a highly-leveraged value trap. Sometimes value traps result when a firm's products or services are becoming obsolete, as was the case with film maker Eastman Kodak in the late 1990s.

The article offers the outlook and investment strategies of the top investors in the world, which include Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, Bob Rodriguez of First Pacific Advisors and Marty Whitman of Third Avenue Management. Buffett asserted that it is better to invest in equities than Treasuries. Rodriguez suggested moving assets out of the U.S. if the government continues to realize deficits. Whitman recommended well-financed companies that do not depend on bond or stock markets.

The article recommends several growth funds in the U.S. It outlines the annualized rate of return posted by the Fidelity Contrafund being managed by Will Danoff. It discusses the companies preferred by Brian Berghuis for investments of the T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth fund. It relates annualized rate of return of the Buffalo Mid Cap growth fund being managed by Kent Gasaway and Bob Male.

This article looks at the performance of suggested stocks in 2008. All the recommended stocks dropped an average of 27% through May 8, 2009 compared with a 33% drop for Standard & Poor's 500-stock index. Mohawk Industries was the only one of the five stocks to trail the index with a 40% loss. Retailer Bed Bath & Beyond led the pack with only a 12% loss and better earnings in each of the past four quarters than estimated. Also included are information on some closed-end funds selling at discount prices.

The article assesses the performance of dividend-oriented exchange-traded funds (ETF) and stocks in the U.S. It reveals that iShares ETF, actively managed dividend funds and track indexes lost points during the first quarter of 2009, because of the participation of a disproportionately large percentage of big dividend players. The methodology that will be used by Dow Jones to reform the entire Select Divided index is described. INSET: A DIVIDEND FUND'S NEW LOOK.

The article discusses the advantages of investing in a home-building company. The profits of homebuilders are highly leveraged to the performance of the economy, and their stocks usually start to recover vigorously well before a recession ends. The most conservative builders are the best positioned to thrive once the economy rebounds.

The article focuses on the investment strategy of mutual fund Caldwell & Orkin Market Opportunity in the U.S. It states that the fund made some smart short sales on financial and retail stocks, and by maintaining a hefty cash position. Manager Michael Orkin uses economic forecasting, market timing and company-by-company research to come up with a list of stocks to buy and a list to sell short. Since its inception in 1991, the fund has gained 10.0 percent annualized, with one-third less volatility.

The article describes the investing approach of managers James Hunt and Francois Sicart for Tocqueville International Value. The managers use big-picture themes, such as the housing downturn in the U.S., to generate ideas, then drill into companies to assess the quality of their businesses and their ability to weather a difficult stretch. Hunt prefers Japanese and European stocks. In Europe, he likes companies connected to housing, such as French building-products maker Saint-Gobain.

The article discusses the strategies of different mutual funds. Stephen Lieber, who co-manages Alpine Dynamic Innovators with his son Samuel, believes that innovation in the finance industry is in high demand. Sequenom announced the success of its tests for a product to determine Down syndrome in fetuses. A chart showing the 20 largest stock mutual funds in 2008 is also presented. INSETS: RETURNS FOR 3,000+ FUNDS ONLINE;EXPLANATION OF TERMS.

The article reports on Dodge & Cox's fifth fund that will combine the best of its domestic and international funds. Based in San Francisco, California, Dodge & Cox is said to have achieved near-cult status among fund aficionados due to strong long-term results, low fees and a committee-oriented approach to picking stocks and bonds. It is cited that analysts pitch ideas for the firm's three stock funds. The Global fund will invest in companies from the existing portfolios of Stock and International.

The article looks at how FTI Consulting is managing its stocks while serving troubled companies. The company's client list contains 66 of the Fortune 100 companies and 97 of the top 100 U.S. law firms. Revenues of FTI Consulting expanded by 41 percent in 2007, 16 percent of which came from abroad. In order to meet the demand for its services, FTI expanded its workforce by 94 percent in 2006 and 2007.

The article recommends countercyclical stocks in the market. Having more appeal than First Cash Financial Services, EZCorp's profits have grown at a 38% annual clip over the past three years, and analysts see earnings rising 11% annually over the next few years. Cash America International's Internet-based lending platform, CashNetUSA has posted a revenue of $185 million in 2007. Cash America's shares are even cheaper than EZCorp's.

The article reports on the performance of foreign stocks in 2007. It states that as of mid-December 2007, foreign stocks stood poised to beat U.S. stocks for the sixth year in a row. In its two years of existence, Cullen International High Dividend has used a relatively conservative, value-oriented stock-picking process to breeze past the category averages. Managers Jim Cullen and Rahul Sharma screen for stocks that yield at least 3 percent and are among the 20 percent with the lowest price-earnings ratios.