Kimberly-Clark's (KMB) shares, first discussed here on June 22, 2009, at a price of $51.06, continue to cycle in a $61 to $67 range. Hence, if you haven't already, now may be good time consider taking some profits, if you're in near $51.

However, other investors who tolerate the risk and maintain their full position in KMB, but keep in mind the stock gains from here will likely be tough to achieve in 2011. Also, if you're looking for a decent dividend, it's worth it to retain KMB, given its $2.80 annual dividend, good for a 4.4% yield at the current share price.

"When it comes to longevity, it's hard to beat the Kimberly-Clark Corp. (KMB); this US paper and healthcare product manufacturer was founded in 1872," says income expert Amy Calistri.

The editor of The Daily Paycheck explains, "While we tend to think of as a staid and steady company, Kimberly-Clark has a long history of innovation, supporting a lifetime of earnings and dividend growth.

"Kimberly-Clark was the first company to put toilet tissue on a roll. It invented the 'disposable handkerchief' -- or what we know as the iconic Kleenex.

Kimberly-Clark (KMB), a consumer products company that counts Procter & Gamble (PG) as a colleague, is a very interesting stock for two reasons. First, it's not too far away from its 52-week high. Second, it's trading with an extremely nice dividend yield attached. Those two elements can't help but make an investor take notice.

In fact, speaking about the dividend yield, according to the company's Q4 earnings results, management has increased the quarterly payout by 6% to 70 cents per share. Excellent news. Based on Tuesday's closing price of $65.61, a quote that found the stock up by 2.6% on significant volume, the yield on the shares is now roughly 4.3%.

The shares of Kimberly-Clark (KMB), first discussed here on June 22, 2009 at a price of $51.06, have pulled back to about $64 after testing levels above $67 in late 2010, and now may be good time to consider taking some profits, if you're in at/near $51.

Others who can tolerate the risk can main their full position, but they should keep in mind the stock gains from here in 2011 will likely be tough to achieve. Also, if you're looking for a decent dividend, it's worth retaining KMB, given its $2.64 annual dividend.

Look for Kimberly's 2011 revenue to increase 2-4%, aided by impressive growth in emerging markets, particularly in KMB's personal care and health care units.

Analyst Upgrades

• Research In Motion (RIMM) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Citigroup (C) to buy from hold at ISI Group.
• Integrated Silicon (ISSI) to buy from hold at Auriga.
• Kinross Gold (KGC) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Analyst Upgrades

• Sprint (S) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at Piper Jaffray.
• Cree (CREE) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.
• Brocade (BRCD) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• JPMorgan upgraded WuXi PharmaTech (WX) to overweight from neutral.
• Barclays upgraded ITC Holdings (ITC) to overweight from equal weight.
• Centene (CNC) was upgraded to outperform from underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Senior Housing (SNH) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• UBS upgraded Hovnanian (HOV) to neutral from sell.
• GeoResources (GEOI) was upgraded to accumulate from neutral at Madison Williams.
• Compellent (CML) was upgraded to hold from sell at Canaccord.

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) was a weak stock on Tuesday. By the end of the session, it had sold off by 5.8% to $62.61. Volume was very strong as investors digested the latest earnings release.

That $62.61 price places the stock at around the midpoint of the yearly range: The 52-week low is $58.25 while the 52-week high is $67.24. After realizing how tight the range is, it's no surprise that the one-year chart would be an up-down affair. With yesterday's plunge, could it be that now is the time to get in on the shares? Are they a trade?

If you considered Kimberly-Clark (KMB), first discussed here on June 22, 2009, at a price of $51.06, during the stock's summer side-ways action, it proved to be a prudent move, as the shares have powered ahead since then.

In 2010, look for Kimberly's revenue to increase 5% to 6%, aided by impressive growth in emerging markets, particularly in KMB's personal care and health care units.

Kimberly has successfully positioned itself as a global consumer products/personal products company, with 50% of its sales outside the U.S., including about 30% from Asia/Latin America. A cost containment program that's yielding results and a nice $2.64 annual dividend add to the positive mix.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) to buy from hold based on valuation. The firm keeps a $39 target on the stock.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Kenexa (KNXA) to overweight from neutral, citing a strengthening of trends for the company. The firm has a $29 price target on the stock.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Gaylord Entertainment (GET) to buy from neutral on expectations the company will benefit from strong trends in 2011. The firm raised its target for shares to $35 from $32.50.
• MeadWestvaco (MWV) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• EADS (EADSY) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.

In the year following Bush's dividend tax cuts, the Dow Jones rose 16%. When the tax cuts expire in a few months, will the market drop?

One method of evaluating stocks is that they are worth the present value of all the future cash flows. This can make dividend stocks particularly attractive to investors because they get paid rent or a dividend for holding a company. If conditions change and those future dividends are no longer expected, a stock can suddenly be worth a lot less. This is a large reason why we see stocks drop suddenly at earnings announcements or when companies revise outlooks.

The shares of (KMB), which I first discussed here on June 22, 2009, at a price of $51.06, have meandered over the past three months at or near $62, as the market sorts out the health of the U.S. economic recovery, creating a decent price at which to consider the shares if you missed the $51 level.

In 2010, look for revenue to increase 5% to 6%, aided by impressive growth in emerging markets, particularly in KMB's personal care and health care units. Kimberly has successfully positioned itself as a global consumer products/personal products company, with 50% of its sales outside the U.S., including about 30% from Asia/Latin America. Kimberly sells products in more than 150 countries.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) strong Q1 results beat earnings expectations, and yet shares sold off.
• American Express Co. (AXP) reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, which lifted shares.
• Apple Inc. (AAPL) shares rose to a new all-time high after it said earnings surged 90% in its Q2.
• Coca-Cola Co. (KO) beat Q1 earnings estimates but weaker-than-expected revenue sent shares lower.
• eBay Inc. (EBAY) shares sold off after Q1 earnings were in line with expectations and guidance was weak.

I'm going to take a brief look at two earnings releases from the week. One involves a business backed by an iconic piece of financial plastic while the other concerns a company that is a dividend play based on brands such as Kleenex.

American Express (AXP), which competes with MasterCard (MA) and Visa (V), had a great Q1. Reuters says that the company made 73 cents per share, a number that is nine pennies ahead of analyst projections. The growth in net income was impressive, and it shows that the economy is performing a lot better than it once was.

It is mind boggling that Hugo Chavez, the authoritarian President of Venezuela is racing towards a mock socialist political system when the two largest socialist regimes in the world, China and Russia, have done the opposite. Even our long standing communist adversary (now trading partner) Vietnam entered the 21st Century on a capitalist influenced spring loaded economic boom.

BusinessWeek reports in its latest edition that the Chavez government has been taking privately held supermarkets under government control:

Kimberly-Clark (KMB), first discussed here on June 22, 2009, at a price of $51.06, remains a preferred consumer stable operation, despite a recent stock price dip. Here's why:

Look for revenue to increase 5% to 7% in 2010, aided by impressive growth in emerging markets, particularly in KMB's personal care and health care units. Kimberly has successfully positioned itself as a global consumer products/personal products company, with 50% of its sales outside the U.S., including about 30% from Asia/Latin America; Kimberly sells products in more than 150 countries. Streamlined manufacturing and cost reductions complements the growth story, and a $2.64 annual dividend is an eye-opener.