I own Coca-Cola (KO) for the long term. It could very well be my favorite stock. Great brand, excellent dividend history, and so forth . . . you know the drill on Coke. Even so, I enjoy trying to figure out its technical future. For those who have been following the stock's price action this week, I'm sure you're wondering the same thing: Is the equity a sell at this point?

Full disclosure: Back in September, I tried to predict the short-term future of the beverage giant, and I got it wrong. I thought it might be too high around the $59 mark. Looks like the market disagreed, judging by the chart.

I wasn't sure whether or not to believe what I had read. Could it be possible? Was it really true? Did Disney (DIS) actually increase its annual dividend by over 14%?

I haven't been a happy camper as far as the friendliness of this company goes in terms of its dividend payment. But, I have to admit, I was a little more upbeat when I saw the news. Investors in the Mouse (like myself) will receive 40 cents per share next month, five pennies higher than last year's payout; the dividend yield is now roughly 1%. Is this enough of a reason to buy the stock?

The J.M. Smucker Company (SJM) was down almost 1.4% to $62.15 at the close of the day. Volume was quite heavy. The market voted on the food entity's latest earnings report. Should investors listen to this opinion and immediately put in sell orders?

According to Theflyonthewall, the business, whose colleagues include ConAgra Foods, Inc. (CAG) and Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT), made an adjusted $1.38 per share during its fiscal second quarter. That was six solid pennies ahead of the overall projection. Not only was that beat cool to see, but income guidance for fiscal year 2011 saw an improvement.

Time Warner (TWX) was down this afternoon as investors poured over the media conglomerate's latest quarterly results. At the time of this writing, shares were off by 2% to $31.74. Volume wasn't overpoweringly strong, but it was above average, and by the time this is published, it could very well become more significant than it appears to me now.

The yearly range has been a tight one: the 52-week low for the shares is $26.43 while the 52-week high is $34.07. The twelve-month chart isn't that attractive, unfortunately. But shareholders may be more impressed by the Q3 numbers.

Every day I marvel at all the silly things that happen in the marketplace, the missed opportunities and the overlooked bargains. Mini-mill steel company Nucor Corp. (NUE) is certainly one of them.

I understand that the construction industry is in the dumps and the auto industry has barely come back to life. There is no question that Nucor has fallen on tough times. However, that is what creates the investment opportunity. If you want to make a lot of money, you must find high-quality companies during their business lulls and not be afraid to put your money to work.

Clorox (CLX), at the time of this writing, was down 4% to $63.55. The 52-week high for the stock is $69. The chart shows an equity that seemed to be doing relatively well for a while until today's notable drop. Should investors avoid the company at this point?

Hey, we're talking Clorox, correct? This is a long-term, core vehicle that one doesn't dump simply because it's experiencing a bit of trouble. Nevertheless, there are some issues that shareholders need to know.

Both Procter & Gamble (PG) and Visa (V) are stocks I consider potentially solid long-term bets. You could hold the pair in a core portfolio, although I concede that Visa will obviously be the more volatile, and risky, of the two. When you think about it, each one possesses great brand equity and provides products that will be in demand for years to come. Laundry detergent and plastic credit/debit cards will most likely never become obsolete.

Wednesday saw the release of each company's latest earnings report. P&G, which was issuing numbers for the first quarter, said it made $1.02 per share from continuing operations. This was two pennies ahead of the estimate.

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?

Verizon Communications (VZ) is down over 2% as I write this. Shares are exchanging hands for $31.79. Volume isn't that impressive, but we'll have to see where it ends up when the trading day is completed (there's still over two hours to go before the bell is rung).

According to the Associated Press, the telecom entity reported adjusted income of 56 cents per share for the third quarter. Expectations were set at 54 cents per share. So management was able to beat the analysts.

Poor Hershey (HSY). At the time of this writing, the stock was off by 2.8%, coming in at a quote of $49.67. The market wasn't taken by the third-quarter report. Is Wall Street being fair with the shares?

Well, you know how the analyst game works. A forecast is made, and the trick is to beat it. Unfortunately, the company behind the Reese's peanut butter candies and the famous Hershey chocolate bar (of course) merely met expectations. When you do that, you're simply not guaranteed to get a big bid after the earnings release.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has had its problems in recent times with recalls, but when you think about the stock, you can't help thinking that it's one of those blue-chip winners that will be around for a long time. It's a name that you can utilize a dollar-cost-averaging strategy with in an attempt to keep the cost basis at an attractive level.

Today, the health-care concern issued its third-quarter report. While the top line failed to do much, as this article indicates, the bottom line was able to top the analyst community's prediction. Net income came in at $1.23 per share, eight pennies ahead of the estimate. A weaker dollar did act as a partial driver of the profit performance.

PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) is down in afternoon trading. At the time of this writing, shares of the beverage concern were off by 3.3% to $65.85. A lot of volume was backing the trade. Disappointing for a stock that is supposed to be a defensive instrument. But, truth be told, the earnings report that was released today wasn't so exciting.

The stock has been in up-and-down mode over the past twelve months. The 52-week range is a narrow one: the low for the year is $58.75 while the high is $68.11. In a sense, investors who have been dollar-cost-averaging in the name and reinvesting dividends along the way probably are doing relatively okay in the current environment.

"We've all read stories about the states' budget woes. In the wake of falling tax revenues, brought on by the decline in the housing market and the recession, U.S. states are tightening their belts; so why would I invest in state municipal bonds?" asks income specialist Amy Calistri.

The editor of The Daily Paycheck explains, "Here's the reasoning behind our recommendation for PIMCO Municipal Income (PMF).

"In the wake of falling tax revenues, brought on by the decline in the housing market and the recession, U.S. states are tightening their belts. Some states, such as California, are facing sizable budget challenges.

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.

Don't you hate it when a stock you own is downgraded by an analyst? Well, maybe you shouldn't hate it, because if it is a stock you're confident in, you can use the potential sell-off after the negative report as a buying opportunity. I guess it's more of an emotional thing.

Although I don't own Kellogg Company (K), I was amused by its inclusion in the bad section of today's Analyst Calls piece. UBS brought its rating on the equity down to neutral from buy. It also lowered the price target.