Japan Tobacco Overcomes Domestic Hurdles

By Stephen Rosenman:Philip Morris International (PM), Altria (MO), and Kraft (KFT) - three dominating staples stocks. How kind Altria has been to its shareholders: Not only a strong stock performance by big MO but the welcome addition of the Philip Morris International and Kraft spin-offs.

By Steven Dotsch:Just four tobacco companies control approximately 75% of the world's cigarette market. After Philip Morris International (PM), British American Tobacco (

By Spencer Knight: Blue-chip stocks are great investment decisions for a number of reasons. One of the most important reasons is that blue-chip companies are supposed to be strong enough to withstand economic turmoil. A second reason to invest in blue chips is the history of paying a dividend. In theory blue chips are strong enough to continually pay and increase their dividend regardless of the economic environment.

TORONTO — When Noront Resources Ltd. blared the Johnny Cash song ‘Ring of Fire’ over and over at its annual meeting in Toronto in 2007, it felt like a giant party. Only weeks earlier, Noront had made the first key mineral discovery in McFaulds Lake, a remote Northern Ontario region that was quickly nicknamed the Ring of Fire. Excitement about the find was at a fever pitch, and companies were staking land like crazy. No one could wait to find out what came next.

David Oldenburg submits:Events to Trade Monday 1) Earnings for XOM, BIDU, ITW 2) Personal Income and Personal Spending Last week on Friday, Ford (F) dropped 13% and Amazon (AMZN) dropped 7.2%. A reminder that earnings and guidance and expectations are important, and priced into stocks.