Option investors took a bullish interest in the Oil & Gas Pipelines industry and bearish interest in the Business Services industry on Tuesday.

Bullish Volatility Skews

• Enbridge Inc. (ENB) -- part of the Oil & Gas Pipelines industry -- came in at the top with a volatility skew of 1.25. This may come as a surprise as ENB is down -4.27% for the past month.

Shares of Baidu (BIDU) are pointed sharply higher in after-hours trading, with investors cheering the company's fourth-quarter earnings report. The Internet-search issue swung to a profit of $62.7 million, or $1.80 per American depositary share, while revenue jumped 40% to $184.7 million. Analysts were looking for a slimmer per-share profit of $1.69, according to Thomson Reuters.

Looking ahead, BIDU said it expects first-quarter revenue to range between $176 million and $181 million, compared to consensus expectations for revenue of $170 million. This upbeat forecast sent the stock surging to a gain of nearly 9% in electronic trading.

The stock of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (GT), which I first wrote about on May 5, 2009, at a price of $13.30, has given back most of the gains registered in 2009, but I still like the company's business model and prospects, for several reasons.

First and foremost, it appears the long auto sector depression in the U.S. is over: miles driven fell substantially in 2009, due to fewer drivers and consumer belt-tightening. Further, while no one should expect 1960s-style suburban traffic growth, last year's negative mileage pattern is unlikely to be repeated in 2010.

Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB) is a stock I've had on my radar screen for a while -- it was first written about on May 6, 2009. at a price of $56.09 -- and I still like it. Here's why:

Long-term, Schlumberger "is in the catbird seat," concerning the world's need for more oil. Oil producers, particularly newer clients in emerging markets, will need the more-sophisticated oil services that SLB can provide. Further, a likely oil price of $70-85 per barrel in 2010 will increase oil producer confidence in the feasibility of launching new upstream projects -- another plus for SLB.

Avon Products (AVP), which I first wrote about on May 6, 2009, at a price of $23.12, has pulled-back with the market's retreat, but I still like the company and the stock. Here's why:

Avon remains the world leader in direct-marketed cosmetics, toiletries, fashion jewelry, and fragrances, with ample growth opportunities in Latin America, China, and Central/Eastern Europe.

It goes without saying that one sector I've liked for years has been the electric power generation sector, and within this category Northeast Utilities (NU), which I first wrote about on May 6, 2009 at a price of $21.48, is a standout.

Investors should not expect mega revenue growth or gargantuan customer gains with NU, just predictable, steady earnings growth, evenly split between the company's generating/distribution business and its transmission operation. Further, look for the company's transmission sector to play an increasing role in revenue growth, moving forward. NU serves about 1.9 million customers, primarily in Connecticut, but also in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

I have long argued that the electric power generation sector offers investment opportunities, and within that category I've liked American Electric Power (AEP), which I first wrote about on May 4, 2009, at a price of $25.38.

AEP, with 5 million retails customers (mostly in Ohio, Virginia, Indiana, and Oklahoma), should continue to shine as a low-cost power provider. True, increased energy efficiency across the U.S. economy will be a trend for the next decade and beyond, but relatively low-cost electric power does not go out of style.

The summer movie season is only a few months away, and Viacom (VIA) has some big blockbusters in the works. The studio will use a number of ads during the Super Bowl to promote May's Iron Man 2 and July's The Last Airbender. There also will be a plug for a February flick with Leonardo DiCaprio called Shutter Island.

The runaway success of recent release Avatar proves that Americans are still spending strongly on movies. Viacom saw tremendous success with the original Iron Man release with Robert Downey Jr., and I expect another big payday at the box office.

Consumer products giant Unilever (UL) saw big business even during the worst of the recession thanks to its recognizable brands like Ben & Jerry's, Vaseline and Cutex. This loyal customer base has provided a great backbone for the company's sales and profits, and kept this stock attractive among investors.

Now that consumer spending appears to be on the mend, Unilever is looking to take its business to the next level with a new line of men's products -- including Dove moisturizers and bath items.

Dr Pepper-Snapple (DPS) will put its flagship soda brand before Super Bowl audiences for the first time this year with its Dr Pepper Cherry commercial. Spokesman Gene Simmons will offer up his tagline, "Trust me, I'm a doctor," with the rest of his KISS bandmates in the company's spot.

Dr Pepper has made a habit out of beating Wall Street expectations, with an average earnings surprise of 17% across the past four quarters.

Newspaper giant Gannett (GCI) owns a controlling influence in CareerBuilder.com. This online job-seeking portal is sure to see big revenue in the coming months as the employment picture brightens up and most human resource departments post their open positions.

A recent Wall Street Journal survey of 56 economists concluded that 1.4 million new jobs will be created in 2010. That means big things for CareerBuilder.com.

According to ad industry buzz, Coca-Cola (KO) has landed two Super Bowl spots that will star characters from the Simpsons, including Kwik-E-Mart clerk Apu cheering up the miser Mr. Burns with a Coke.

Coca-Cola is already a household name, but the company is looking to push sales to the next level. I think KO can do it.

The company has met or exceeded expectations for each of the last four earnings reports and should post another strong showing in February that will send shares up nicely.

There have been no problems selling big-ticket ads for this weekend's broadcast of Super Bowl XLIV. And with good reason -- this has been one of the best years for football on television, with viewership up across the board. The recent NFC and AFC championship games were the NFL's largest combined audience for the two championship games since January 1982.

With all those eyeballs, the real winners could turn out to be the companies with the most aggressive (and the most memorable) advertising spots.

You won't find too many fans of the credit card/revolving debt sector, but American Express (AXP), which I first wrote about on April 27, 2009 at a price of $27.28, in my interpretation, still has considerable appeal. Here's why:

I expect credit card charge-offs to continue to stabilize in the quarters ahead, with a reduction in delinquencies, improving cash flow for AXP. That will help build capital for future expansion/new business projects. A better pace of small business/medium business expansion adds to the positive story, and AXP still has ample room to increase use of its business cards in the emerging markets of Asia and Latin America.

Readers of this space know that like Warren Buffett, I like the rails, and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), which I first wrote about on May 1, 2009, at a price of $37.47, still looks attractive. Here's why.

I expect the global upturn, albeit with fits-and-starts, in commodity shipments (potash, coal) to continue, and look for the pace to quicken in 2010. Industrial car loadings also should register an impressive improvement this year. Meanwhile, increases in CP's railroad efficiency add to the positive story.