Barron’s Picks And Pans: Merck, Walmart, Zoetis And More

How to Profit From the U.S.-China Cold War” by Reshma Kapadia explains why investors should watch for certain risks and opportunities in the escalating tensions between the United States and China. Does Barron’s believe Nike Inc (NYSE: NKE) is a play?

Al Root’s “How to Play Stock-Split Mania” points out that when Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) announced stock splits, their stocks promptly rallied. Can investors expect more companies with big stock prices to follow suit?

In “How the 2020 Election Could Affect Health-Care Stocks,” Josh Nathan-Kazis shows how a Biden and a Trump administration are likely to differ on drug pricing, health insurance and COVID-19 plans, affecting everything from CVS Health Corp (NYSE: CVS) to Moderna Inc (NASDAQ: MRNA).

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) has a blockbuster cancer drug, a 3% dividend yield and two COVID-19 vaccine candidates in the pipeline, according to “Merck, Big Pharma’s Quiet Giant, Looks Like a Buy” by Andrew Bary.

In Jack Hough’s “The Economy May Be Struggling, but the Pet Business and the Stock Market Keep Running Strong,” see what Barron’s thinks may be in store for the likes of pet meds giant Zoetis Inc (NYSE: ZTS).

See also: As With Stocks, Robinhood Users Like Their ETFs Risky 

“9 Regional Banks With Steady Dividends — for Now” by Lawrence C. Strauss makes a case that a big earnings headwind may abate by the end of this year for PNC Financial Services Group Inc (NYSE: PNC) and some of its peers.

The Boston-based Columbia Dividend Income fund has consistently ranked in the top 10% of its category. So says Lawrence C. Strauss’s “Why a Winning Dividend Fund Likes Home Depot, Target, and Walmart.” See why it has its eye on Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD) and other big retailers.

In “There’s a Target on Walmart’s Back,” Ben Levisohn ponders whether Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) or Walmart Inc (NYSE: WMT) will have benefited more from the recent strength in retail when they report earnings.

Also in this week’s Barron’s:

At the time of this writing, the author had no position in the mentioned equities.

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