H.J. Heinz Company (HNZ), a food concern famous for its ketchup product and whose colleagues include ConAgra (CAG) and Campbell Soup (CPB), closed today's session higher by 1.4%. The final quote of $49.66 isn't far at all from the 52-week high of $50.77. Is the stock a buy?

You know, there's a very interesting element to this story, and it has to do with the dividend yield. Right now, Heinz's yield is 3.6%. That's pretty awesome. You've got take notice of a stock that is both near a 52-week high and possessive of a lofty yield.

What did you think of Home Depot's (HD) earnings report? I rather enjoyed it. And I think the future may be bright for the retailer and arch enemy of Lowe's (LOW).

According to TheStreet.com, net income calculated out to 36 cents per share for the fourth quarter. This was five pennies better than the overall estimate. Same-store sales experienced an increase of 3.9%. And management's forecast for the full fiscal year was upgraded.

The J.M. Smucker Company (SJM), a food concern in the same category as ConAgra Foods (CAG) and Kraft Foods (KFT), issued its fiscal third-quarter report on Thursday. The document wasn't too thrilling, but it shows that the business is holding its own in the competitive battlefield of the supermarket shelves.

Its adjusted profit of $1.27 per share came in ahead of the overall projection by one penny. Not bad, considering the article highlights the challenges of navigating a volatile environment in terms of ingredient costs.

I have reiterated my buy recommendation on Canadian telecommunications giant BCE Inc. (BCE) in the latest issue of The Canada Report newsletter.

I originally advised buying the stock in December 2008 when it was trading at $17.76 following the collapse of a multi-billion dollar bid to take the company private. At the time, I felt that investors were overreacting to the news and throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

"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.

Kraft Foods (KFT) didn't exactly report an exciting quarter. Nevertheless, it is the type of stock that many hold for the long term; it doesn't necessarily force one to put a lot of weight on any single three-month period. It's a story of brands, a thesis based on consumers and supermarket shelves. The future cash flows derived from these elements is what drives an investor to buy this company.

There's nothing wrong with keeping tabs on the business, though. According to the Associated Press, Kraft made, on an adjusted basis (the Cadbury purchase was involved in the adjustment process), 46 cents per share in the fourth quarter. This was a penny less than a year ago. The consensus estimate was for net income to come in at 46 cents per share. Yes, management failed to rise above the projection.

Two companies devoted to consumer products released earnings this week. One makes items used for cleaning, the other makes goods that you can actually eat.

We'll start with the cleaning-item concern. The Clorox Company (CLX), manufacturer of the iconic laundry bleach, issued results for its fiscal second quarter earlier today. At the time of this writing, shares were higher by 2.4% to a quote of $65.26. Volume was strong. The 52-week low for the stock is $59.07 and the 52-week high is $69. The one-year chart is, well ... not that great.

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%.

"Health Care REIT (HCN) is one of the nation's leading developers and managers of medical office buildings, outpatient centers, senior living communities and other such facilities," says Nathan Slaughter.

The editor of Street Authority Market Advisor explains, "The firm's portfolio spans 640 properties in 39 states. Like other real estate investment trusts, HCN dishes out most of its profits in the form of dividend distributions.

"Backed by recurring rental income from these facilities, which tend to be recession resistant, HCN has one of the most secure dividend distributions you'll find.

Wow. General Electric Company (GE) is up 7.9% to $19.89 as I write this. Volume is strong. I wish I could say I was participating in today's rally, but alas, I am not. Late last year, I sold out of my GE position, as I explain in this article. I obviously could have sold at a higher price, but hey, I needed to sell when I did; that's just how it goes.

I like the price action I'm seeing, and I believe the Q4 profit report was solid. According to the Associated Press, continuing operations captured 36 cents per share, four pennies above the projection. Probably of more significant note in some respects is the top-line performance: the AP stated that net sales increased on a year-over-year basis, a feat that hasn't been observed for quite a while.