Benzinga's Picks And Pans: BlackBerry, McDonald's, Rite Aid And More

• Benzinga has featured a look at many investor favorite stocks over the past week.
• That includes how one fast-food giant is taking on the competition and how traders can play a potential failed merger.
• The outlooks for rail stocks, a struggling retailer and a cellphone maker left for dead are also examined.

The past week saw the first Federal Reserve rate increase of 2017, and the markets have retreated somewhat from recent highs. The following are just a few investor favorite stocks featured by Benzinga during the week.

A Different Cup Of Joe: McDonald's Vs. Starbucks

"Starbucks Vs. McCafé: Can McDonald's Take Market Share?" by Brett Hershman asks whether McDonald's Corporation MCD can compete with Starbucks Corporation SBUX in the coffee arena. The fast-food giant has begun testing several new McCafé drinks in California. "There's so much more we can do with this," says McDonald's.

Pharmacies: Rite Aid And Walgreens

In "Has Rite Aid Become A Lottery Ticket Trade?" Shanthi Rexaline examines whether Rite Aid Corporation RAD has become the type of play in which a trader takes a small risk in a bid to pocket a highly uncertain but highly rewarding return. Rumors that the merger with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc WBA may fail has had Rite Aid shares in a downward spiral.

Rollin' Rails: CSX And Union Pacific

Manikandan Raman's "Which Rail Stock Should You Board? Breaking Down Wells Fargo's Initiations In The Sector" takes a look at how coal prices, stabilizing fuel prices and other factors played into the analyst's interest in this transportation segment. What are the prospects for CSX Corporation CSX, Union Pacific Corporation UNP and many of their peers, according to Wells Fargo?

Targeted Hit: Sturm Ruger & Company

Sturm Ruger & Company Inc RGR enjoys considerable brand equity, having been the top-selling brand of firearms in the U.S. market in the past decade, according to "Sturm Ruger: Strong Brand, Weak Industry" by Jim Swanson. However, the firearms market is facing multiple near-term challenges, including a cyclical downturn in demand. How does the stock stack up against its peers?

Management And Macy's

In Jayson Derrick's "5 Big Changes Coming To Macy's" see the game plan troubled department store operator Macy's Inc M has to regain some of the lost traffic and sales from its competition. Macy's president and incoming CEO Jeff Gennette has offered a glimpse of what consumers can expect in the future, including more self-service options and simplified coupons.

Trump And Technology: BlackBerry

"A Bullish Case For BlackBerry As An 'Anti-Trend Play'" by Wayne Duggan makes a case for one of the ghosts of a bygone era in smartphones to soon rise from the dead. See why BlackBerry Ltd BBRY may be well positioned to play a key role in President Donald Trump's proposed $1 trillion infrastructure spending initiative. But do current quarterly results mean "nothing"?

Warren Buffett Doesn't Feel Obligated To Leave A Generous Tip