Barron's Picks And Pans: Wal-Mart, Medtronic, Palo Alto Networks And More

"Wal-Mart's Turnaround Could Lift Shares 30%" by Robin Goldwyn Blumenthal makes a case that efforts to reignite growth, such as investments in labor and e-commerce, could give earnings from and shares of retail giant

a nice lift in the next couple of years. And with a 3 percent yield, says the article, investors get paid while they wait. In "Medtronic's Allure: Stable Shares and Steady Growth," Jack Hough takes a look at why, as

trims its costs, integrates Covidien and introduces new medical devices, its shares could return up to 20 percent. See why Barron's thinks the company not only boasts better growth prospects but also a lower valuation than other safe-haven stocks. Reshma Kapadia's "Cybersecurity Stocks to Buy Now" examines security firms that are poised to benefit as companies continue to bolster defenses against cybercrime. In particular, Barron's picks three companies that are worth a look following the sell-off in cybersecurity stocks:

,

and

.

After a brutal pummeling, shares of aerospace parts maker

could rise 30 percent over the next year, according to "Astronics Ready to Pull Out of Its Nose Dive" by David Englander. See why Barron's thinks the stock looks cheap and that investors are undervaluing the company's aerospace unit while focusing on its testing unit. In Leslie P. Norton's "Leuthold Group's Ramsey Prepares for the Bear," Doug Ramsey, chief investment officer of Leuthold Group, is interviewed. Ramsey thinks the S&P 500 will drop at least 20 percent as the bear market shakes out, and that will be a cue to start buying. The article includes more than a dozen picks, including

and

. Also in this week's Barron's:

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