NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by Bridgewater Equity (BWE).

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SUGAR LAND--January 6, 2009--Reported by Annette Kreuger, Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--When a patient walks into virtually any physician's office, missing the trail of freebies left behind by visiting pharmaceutical sales representatives is virtually impossible. Clocks, coffee mugs, pens--the ad infinitum list of drug giveaways has become part of the standard medical office decor. Thanks to a new voluntary code-of-conduct policy, the majority of these practices came to a halt with the start of the new year.

Companies featured: Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Pfizer Incorporated (NYSE:PFE)

Filed under: Newsletters, Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), Stocks to Buy, Best Stocks for 2009

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is an a typically defensive industry and has held up much better than most stocks during the past year," says John Reese, who selects the issue has his favorite stock for 2009.

In his Validea -- a newsletter that screens stocks based on the criteria used by legendary investors -- he assesses Johnson & Johnson based on his Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch models.

"The health care and pharmaceutical giant has dipped about 10% over the past year compared to the broader market's 40% plunge.

"In addition, the company has the size ($163 billion market cap) and breadth (250 operating companies and big brand names like Tylenol, Band-Aid, and Neutrogena) to withstand continuing trouble in the economy.

"Johnson & Johnson's price dip this year has only made it more of a bargain according to two of my Guru Strategy computer models, each of which is based on the approach of a different Wall Street great.

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Top Stock Picks '09: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Dell (DELL), Intel (INTC), General Motors (GM), Home Depot (HD), Market matters, International Business Machines (IBM), Citigroup Inc. (C), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), Black and Decker (BDK), Sears Holdings (SHLD), Lowe's Cos (LOW), Wells Fargo (WFC), DJIA, Stocks to Buy, Stocks to Sell, Cramer on BloggingStocks

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says the next six components include one that may vanish from the index, as well as a top pick.

This is the third part of Jim Cramer's series of predictions for the Dow components in 2009. Be sure to read the first and second parts.

General Motors (NYSE: GM) (Cramer's Take): I believe GM will disappear from the Dow in 2009, a historic change. GM could, like AIG (NYSE: AIG) (Cramer's Take), become a zombie stock, if the common stock isn't crushed in 2009 by bankruptcy. The GMAC deal is a windfall for the company, though, and a "soldier on" situation could be in the works.

The best hope here is a Citigroup-like (NYSE: C) (Cramer's Take) investment where the common stock is bolstered, but the union situation makes it highly unlikely that the company's fortunes can turn. This one's problematic for my whole Dow Jones projections because I believe its near or total obliteration will allow the Dow keepers to replace it with something that can rally in 2009. Cost-cutting just won't make it; there is way too much overcapacity in this industry.

Fortunately, given its reduced size, GM's disappearance won't hurt the averages much. If you really like this one, please play the GM Senior Convertible Debentures C (GPM), which is a convertible preferred with a high yield.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Cramer bullish on the Dow for '09 -- Part III

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Cramer bullish on the Dow for '09 -- Part III originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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M&A report for $Wavecom (WVCM) - Sierra Wireless (SWIR) , $Indevus Pharmaceuticals (IDEV) - Endo Pharmaceuticals (ENDP), $Datascope Corp. (DSCP) - Getinge AB, Embarq Corporation (EQ) - CenturyTel, Inc. (CTL), $Mentor Corp (MNT) - Johnson Johnson (JNJ[More...]

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During such times, turn to stocks like Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Exxon Mobil (XOM).The new year is starting in much the same way that the old year left off, with dismal economic data. The Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing Index fell to a reading of 32.4. This is the 5th month in a row that the index has fallen. It is far below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction.As the chart from Briefing.com below shows, it has not been this low for a long, long time. Last month, the total index was at 36.4, a reading that at the time was considered shockingly low. This month's reading was also well below expectations of 35.0. ?Looking at the sub-indexes, there is little reason for optimism.? The new orders index continues to run lower than the production index, as it has for each of the last five months. For December,[More...]

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Schaeffer's Equities Analyst Colleen S. King a look at news on the Street before the market open.

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