Coca-Cola (KO) has more than $13 billion in cash.

The top five companies (according to market cap) are:

• Exxon Mobil (XOM): $398.3 billion
• Apple (AAPL): $309.0 billion
• Microsoft (MSFT): $237.5 billion
• General Electric (GE): $215.0 billion
• Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): $202.5 billion

Let's take a quick look at two companies that posted quarterly reports. One makes its money from plastic (the kind you use to buy things), the other serves pizza, poultry, and tacos to the masses.

Visa, Inc. (V) has not been a great stock this year. Its 52-week low is $64.90 and its 52-week high is $97.19. The stock closed today's regular session at $72.09, backed by unremarkable volume. I don't know, maybe I'm way off, but I think this name should be at least a little closer to the 52-week high. On a related note, the one-year chart is not what shareholders want to see.

Mattel (MAT) February put option implied volatility is at 39, April is at 34, according to Track Data, compared to its 26-week average of 31 into its release of Q4 EPS on February 2, suggesting larger price movement.

Yum! Brands (YUM) is expected to report Q4 EPS on February 2. Overall option implied volatility of 23 is below its 26-week average of 26, according to Track Data, suggesting decrease price movement.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

The earnings season kicked off last week with better-than-expected results from Alcoa (AA) and Yum! Brands (YUM), while Marriott (MAR) and Pepsico (PEP) met consensus EPS estimates. This week, bellwether companies Intel (INTC), General Electric (GE), Google (GOOG) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) are scheduled to report their third-quarter results, and analysts polled by Thomson Reuters are looking for earnings growth from all of them.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel announced the acquisition of McAfee and joint ventures with General Electric and Nokia (NOK) during its third quarter. Analysts forecast earnings for that period to come to 50 cents per share, which is up 34.0% from the same period of last year. The number one semiconductor maker's revenue for the three months ended in September is expected to total $11.0 billion, or 17.1% more than a year earlier. Looking ahead to the full year, the forecast thus far is for earnings of $1.94 per share (+44.8%) and $43.3 billion in revenue (+23.4%). The per-share earnings topped analysts' expectations in the past four quarters, by as much as a dime per share.

Yum! Brands (YUM) issued its fiscal Q3 report Tuesday after the bell. The shares didn't do much during the extended-hours session; they were down roughly 0.4% to $46.63. Not an exciting move, and I have to say, I can understand the lackluster initial reaction.

The company, which owns KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, made an adjusted 73 cents per share. The consensus projection was for net income to come in at 72 cents per share. Beating by a penny is okay, but nothing spectacular -- especially when you consider that the stock is already near a 52-week high.

Alcoa (AA), Marriott (MAR) and Yum! Brands (YUM) kick off the new earnings season this week. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are looking for moderate year-over-year earnings and revenue growth in the third quarter from each of these dividend payers.

Note that Marriott and Yum! Brands have exceeded consensus estimates in recent quarters and have First Call consensus buy recommendations as well. They are also trading near their 52-week highs, while Alcoa shares are closer to the 52-week low despite a 22% rise in the past three months.

Yum! Brands (YUM), a restaurant entity whose multiple concepts compete with McDonald's (MCD) and Wendy's/Arby's Group (WEN), gave shareholders some great news this week: their dividend is going up! According to the press release, the quarterly payment is now 19% higher, coming in at 25 cents per share.

Not bad at all. Looks like management is feeling good about future cash flows. As we all know, dividend increases can be indicative of fundamental fiscal strength. And I like it when a dividend is backed by a strong portfolio that is well-recognized by consumers. Establishments like KFC and Taco Bell are strong trademarks.

Wendy's/Arby's Group (WEN) issued its second-quarter earnings on Thursday. The fast-food entity beat expectations. But, as far as I'm concerned, it wasn't any big deal. In fact, the market sort of agreed with me. By the end of the trading session, shares were off by a mere penny, settling out at a price of $4.14. Volume wasn't that interesting, either.

According to Briefing.com, net profit of 6 cents per share went beyond the estimate by a penny. However, same-store sales at both the Wendy's and Arby's declined. System-wide comps in North America contracted 1.7% for the former and 7.4% for the latter.

"Ya'll oughta try some of this here fried chicken; you ain't gonna believe it!" "Xie-Xie!" (pronounced "she-she") That is Chinese for thank you. From the hills of Kentucky, the Colonial Sanders secret recipe has made a splash in China. While it is well known a lot of the stuff you buy at Walmart (WMT) is made in China; what you may not know is that China is crazy for KFC.

You may not think anything of going out for Chinese with your friends and practice eating with chopsticks; when the Chinese go out with their friends to practice eating with a fork; KFC seems to be a popular option.

McDonald's Corporation (MCD) was down roughly 2% as I began composing this piece during the afternoon session. I hope investors weren't paying attention to the bears who were in control of the fast-food giant's shares. To me, the stock seems to be in good shape, and in the kind of trading climate we're in, it could be a useful instrument for the cautious player.

I'm seeing a quote of around $70 go by on my screen. Not bad in the least, considering that the 52-week high is $71.84. It shows the kind of resilience the stock possesses. Indeed, considering how many equities have pulled back from their 52-week highs, you've got to enjoy this element of the story.

Poor Yum! Brands (YUM). The company has some high-profile trademarks in its portfolio, and it competes vigorously with Burger King (BKC), McDonald's (MCD), and Wendy's/Arby's Group (WEN). It's a competent player in its field. Sometimes, though, that just isn't enough. Tuesday, during the after-hours action, the stock was sold off, losing over 3% of its value.

And this was after the owner of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell beat earnings expectations in the second quarter. It's a funny thing, though: You can top estimates all you want, but if your guidance isn't so hot, your stock isn't guaranteed to respond in the positive direction.

The new earnings season kicks off when Alcoa Inc. (AA) releases its second-quarter results Monday. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters on average expect Alcoa to report that it swung to a profit from a year-ago net loss.

Intel Corp. (INTC) is likewise forecast to have swung into positive territory, while Google Inc. (GOOG) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) are expected to be among the week's biggest earnings gainers.

Sonic Corporation (SONC) is down this afternoon by over 5%. At the time I was checking quotes on the stock, I came up with a price of $8.80. Not too encouraging for shareholders, especially considering that the volume was active.

Shares of the fast-food entity have traded in a narrow range over the last twelve months. The 52-week low is $8.07; the 52-week high is $13.11. The one-year chart shows an all-over-the-place situation; there's no smooth uptrend here. So, we need some fundamental guidance. The third-quarter report was released yesterday after the bell. What do the numbers say?

Nathan's Famous, Inc. (NATH) issued its fourth-quarter report on Friday. Before we get to the results, let's have a quick review of the stock. It's always helpful to see how an equity has been behaving under the current conditions of the market.

Well, Nathan's Famous is one of those stocks that has a yearly range decidedly on the narrow side. The 52-week low is $12; the 52-week high is $16.18. The business settled on Friday at a price of $14.97. If you look at the one-year chart, you might get the feeling that the shares aren't sure whether they should break to the upside or the downside.

Analyst Upgrades

• Weeden upgraded Nabors Industries (NBR) to buy from hold on expectations that U.S. land drillers will likely benefit from a more restrictive deepwater Gulf of Mexico drilling environment.
• Macquarie upgraded Cinemark (CNK) to outperform from neutral and has a $20 price target on the stock. The firm cites valuation, market share stabilization and Latin American pricing power.
• RBC Capital upgraded Edison International (EIX) to outperform from sector perform with a $43 target. The firm cited valuation and its belief that the company's unregulated businesses are well-positioned to accelerate as reasons for the upgrade.
• Canadian Pacific (CP) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
• FirstEnergy (FE) was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Joy Global (JOYG) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Longbow.