Barron's Picks And Pans: Apple, Amgen, TreeHouse Foods And More

• This weekend's Barron's looks at some retailers that could be poised to thrive this holiday season.
• Other featured articles offer where to find bargains in energy stocks and selections from a noted stock picker.
• Also, the prospects for the iPhone maker, a bargain biotech and a food producer.
• "Forget Amazon. These Retailers Are Set to Thrive This Holiday Season" by Jack Hough suggests that investors should be bullish on store chains with digital savvy like Home Depot Inc HD and Target Corporation TGT, but cautious on retailers that do not have unique merchandise.

Andrew Bary's "Where to Find Bargains Among Oil and Natural-Gas Stocks" points out that investors have been shaken by concerns that demand for oil and natural gas will weaken as global growth slows. But are those concerns overblown? A recent market retreat has left many energy stocks looking appealing. Is Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM worth a look?

In "4 Stock Picks by an Early Fan of Apple" by Leslie P. Norton, portfolio manager David Pearl, one of the most accomplished stock pickers at Epoch Investment Partners, shares what he likes about CVS Health Corp CVS, Morgan Stanley MS and others. And see how Pearl feels about the iPhone maker now.

Investors might want to wait a bit longer before jumping back into depressed Apple Inc. AAPL stock, according to "Why Apple's Stock Slide Could Continue" by Tae Kim. The last time the iPhone maker's product cycle disappointed, its stock fell more than 30 percent, the Barron's story points out. What are investors to do?

See also: Munster: There's Something 'Fundamentally Wrong' With Facebook

In Al Root's "Amgen Stock Is Cheap and Generates Loads of Cash," a case is made that fears about competition from biosimilars are more reflected in the share price of Amgen, Inc. AMGN than its new products, legal protections and the funds available for buybacks and dividends. Is this biotech stock a remedy for tougher times?

"This Food Stock Has Room for Price Gains" by Vito J. Racanelli suggests that shares of TreeHouse Foods Inc. THS, a maker of private-label foods, have plenty of upside. Find out why restructuring-related costs could be hiding improving performance, and what that means for Conagra Brands Inc CAG.

Also in this week's Barron's:

• Whether the 401(k), now 40 years old, needs a refresh
• Whether the slump in oil prices is signaling a recession
• The financial toll of California's wildfires
• Chances that the Federal Reserve decides not to raise rates
• Investing for profits and social benefits