As John, Paul, George, and Ringo once said, "Money can't buy me love." While true, money can buy long-stemmed roses, expensive dinners, theater tickets, and jewelry. On the flip side, this money can be tucked away for a rainy day -- the fancy floral delivery replaced with daisies from the grocery store, the pricey meal forgone for the cozy neighborhood spot (or fondue at home).

Many of us have long criticized St. Valentine's Day as a holiday conceptualized and fueled by Hallmark and American Greetings (NYSE: AM). But even more of us fall into its trap, spending a nice chunk of change in mid-February to prove our affection to our significant other.

Continue reading Is romance the latest recession victim?

Is romance the latest recession victim? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What single company is most represented by the sheer number of its products in your home right now?

I bet that company is Proctor & Gamble (NYSE: PG).

Beauty products, household care products, health care products, pet products, toothpaste, toilet paper, batteries, laundry detergent -- even the diapers on Junior's behind are likely to be made by Procter & Gamble.

Like the value of the other stocks in this love list, Procter & Gamble shares have been hit by the wider sell-off.

Corporate earnings are likely to be hurt by the economic slowdown, but companies with diverse revenue streams such as Procter & Gamble will be best able to come out of the current recession with the least amount of collateral damage.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #10 Procter & Gamble (PG) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In this tough economic environment, why not choose a company with as many solid revenue-generating divisions as possible?

And when it comes to having many sources of revenue, you can find no better example than 3M (NYSE: MMM).

The diversified giant has its hands in so many market segments that the company is somewhat difficult to classify.

Industrial and retail products such as tape are its bread and butter, but it also makes products like filtration systems; products used in the manufacture, repair and maintenance of automobiles, boats and aircraft; medical and surgical supplies; optical film and lens solutions for electronic displays; office supply products; construction and home improvement products; home care devices ;and even personal protection products.

It's hard to live life without using a 3M product, and it's this kind of product ubiquity that makes 3M the kind of stock that always attracts investment capital.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #9 3M (MMM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Consumer health care companies are traditionally great recession plays, because no matter what happens in the economy, people still need their medicine.

For more than 100 years, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) has supplied the world with what it needs to ameliorate its ailments.

In addition to marquee consumer brands such as Band-Aid and Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson provides the world with a myriad of prescription drugs, medical devices and medical treatments that keep us all healthy.

The healing power -- and the earnings power -- of Johnson & Johnson's products has contributed to the well-being of both consumers and investors for a very long time.

And while shareholders may justifiably feel ill about the stock over the last several months, the company's long-term growth prospects will likely serve as a veritable love potion for investors in the years to come.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #8 Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Shares of Big Blue sung the blues in 2008, but that's no reason to feel sad about the company's future prospects.

The IT giant is still the premier global technology services firm, and that's not likely to change just because the world's economy is in a funk. Having weathered numerous economic downturns during its nearly 100-year history (including the Depression years), there is no reason to suspect that IBM (NYSE: IBM) won't be able to weather the current economic storm.

The computing landscape is always changing, and companies that adapt to that change are going to be the ones that survive.

A big part of successful adaptation is having the capital and the resources at hand to make the necessary adjustments, and no company has proven more adept at adaptation than IBM.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #7 IBM (IBM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The semiconductor giant continues making better, faster and stronger microchips that power the world's personal computers. But it's not just PCs that Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) chips power.

The company's microprocessors also can be found in enterprise computer servers, industrial equipment, point-of-sale systems, automotive information/entertainment systems, medical equipment -- the list goes on and on.

As the biggest chipmaker on Silicon Valley's block, Intel isn't going anywhere.

The company spends millions in R&D each year to insure that it is the one that creates the next-generation microchip must haves, and just announced plans to invest $7 billion in three of its U.S. plants.

Sure, Intel shares were caught up in the sell-off of 2008, but when the tide turns any smart investor will want to seriously consider booting up Intel.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #6 Intel (INTC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The best example of an iconic American industrial giant is General Electric (NYSE: GE). The company has so many diverse revenue sources that it's hard to know where to begin.

Capital, energy infrastructure, technology infrastructure and entertainment are all part of the GE family.

During the past year or so, the company's capital division has fallen on hard times. But we think that when the pain subsides in the financial sector, GE's money side will likely regain its health.

On the energy infrastructure side, we know that the Obama plan to put billions of dollars into a new, 21st-century "smart" electric power grid will likely include the biggest and best companies in this sector.

GE is unquestionably one of the biggest and best in this field, and their expertise in building out our energy generation system will be a big part of what gets America back on the road toward a brighter future.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #5 General Electric (GE) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The world has a big thirst for many things, but perhaps its greatest thirst is for petroleum products.

Crude oil, gasoline, natural gas and various other petroleum-based items are still the figurative and literal grease that makes the world's engine run smoothly. Without the mechanism for getting gasoline into the world's tanks, the entire globe would come to a screeching halt.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) is the biggest and best company created for the specific goal of supplying the world with the petroleum-based lather it needs to make the system run.

Sure, the price of crude oil is well off its all-time highs, as is the price of gasoline and other related items. But no matter what the price of crude is, and no matter how much slowing occurs in global economic activity, the world will still need to purchase oil -- and that means the world will need Exxon Mobil.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #4 Exxon Mobil (XOM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's nothing as refreshing as a Coke on a hot summer day.

Many Americans share this tasty thought, and while we still love to drink our cola, the recent downtrend in the equity markets has caused Coca-Cola's (NYSE: KO) share price to fizzle.

To be certain, Coca-Cola's stock hasn't been hit as bad as some of the other stocks on this list, but the shares have been beaten up.

One of the factors that may cause investors to fall back in love with Coca-Cola is its international presence.

Sure, the global economy faltered in 2008, but the demographics in countries such as China, India and the emerging nations provide Coca-Cola with a huge and fertile territory where it can continue to grow its high-margin international business.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #3 Coca-Cola (KO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The industrial equipment giant's brand is synonymous with big, bad earthmoving construction machinery. In fact, it's doubtful that any major construction project performed in America since the Great Depression hasn't been performed without the help of a "Cat."

Given the Obama administration's focus on shovel-ready infrastructure construction jobs as the answer to what's ailing our economy, it stands to reason that Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) equipment will once again be called upon to help rebuild and remodel America's crumbling roads, tunnels and bridges.

Think about this, every time you hear the words "shovel-ready jobs," you should think about the makers of the actual shovels. And there is no denying that Caterpillar makes the biggest and best shovels on the planet.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #2 Caterpillar (CAT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The quintessential American telecommunications giant hung up on investors in 2008, but that doesn't mean that we can't call on them in the future.

AT&T (NYSE: T) is still the biggest and most diverse communications provider the world has ever known, and with the growth in its wireless businesses from exclusive service provider deals with Apple (NASDAQ: APPL) and its iPhone, and Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) and its BlackBerry Bold, we aren't ready to cut the line on Ma Bell just yet.

The company's diverse holdings give it the ability to weather the changing telecommunications tide, so whatever the next big trend in talk might be, you can bet that AT&T will take a prominent seat at the table.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #1 AT&T (T) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's hard to recover from a broken heart.

During the past year, many investors' hearts have been crushed as they've witnessed the downward spiral of so many well-respected and trusted corporate giants. To be certain, the market meltdown of 2008 has put a serious strain on the relationship between shareholders and their favorite stocks.

Former rock-solid suitors have failed to meet the emotional and financial needs of those who faithfully bought their shares, and many investors have justifiably filed for divorce from these once-stable household providers.

But I'm an idealist. I still believe in love, and I think broken hearts can be mended with a little time -- and with some positive corporate catalysts.

I believe that many once-mighty, but currently downtrodden stocks will return to their former glory at some point in the future. Just when this might take place and to what extent remains an open question, but corporate America has the ability to heal the wounds and recapture those amorous feelings we all desire.

So, which companies are most likely to fight their way back into our hearts?

There are 10 stocks I think deserve a second chance. These companies represent the biggest corporate brand names out there. These are names that many American's still hold near and dear to their hearts, if not their portfolios.

Continue reading Ten stocks to fall in love with again

Ten stocks to fall in love with again originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Valentine's Day makes or breaks the flower industry. What happens if the recession causes lovers to cut back and just exchange greeting cards? Among other businesses, 1 800 Flowers (NASDAQ: FLWS) may have the most important week of its year ruined and investors in the stock may watch it fall and stay down until the next big holiday.

FLWS is already off to $2.31, just above its 52-week low and way off the period high of $9.25.

The 1 800 Flowers troubles says a great deal about the breadth of this recession. A box of roses probably costs about $40, depending on where someone lives and how the rose crop has done recently. That is not a lot of money to spend on a gift, especially one that is probably important. But, if people won't put out that money, what will they buy? The answer is probably almost nothing.

Continue reading 1 800 Flowers (FLWS): St. Valentine's Day massacre

1 800 Flowers (FLWS): St. Valentine's Day massacre originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.