Barron's Picks And Pans: Wells Fargo, General Dynamics, Harman International And More

This weekend's Barron's ponders the prospects for a leading money center bank and an aerospace and defense giant.

• Prospects for a leading maker of auto infotainment systems are also examined.
• Another featured article takes a look at the latest developments with three small cap stocks.

"How Wells Fargo Dresses Up Its Earnings" by Andrew Bary points out that Wells Fargo & Co WFC always seems to meet or beat earnings estimates, but that for 12 quarters in a row, it has used one-time gains to achieve such results. See how the San Francisco-based money center bank responds to questions about its earnings quality.

In "Harman International Stock Has 20% Upside," Jack Hough takes a look at how, with infotainment systems proliferating throughout the auto industry, shares of Harman International Industries Inc. HAR could reach $100 or more in a year, if this market leader in vehicle infotainment systems starts using its rich cash flow to buy back stock and boost its dividend.

Robin Goldwyn Blumenthal's "General Dynamics Shares Look Too Cheap" makes a case for shares of this aerospace and defense outfit to rally more than 15 percent as its business-jet unit stabilizes. Plus, General Dynamics Corporation GD got a boost last week when it beat second-quarter earnings estimates and raised its full-year profit guidance.

See also: Looking To Escape An Unfavorable Presidency Outcome And Move To Canada? That's Not A Smart Financial Move

After sharp rallies in both stocks, Barron's thinks investors should take their gains in Franklin Electric Co. FELE and TowneBank TOWN, according to "Time to Take Profits in Two Small Stocks" by David Englander. In addition, the article looks at how Carmike Cinemas, Inc. CKEC responded to its latest buyout offer.

This week's issue also includes a special report on exchange traded funds. With ETFs in transition, find out what changes are needed so investors can trade safely. Discover whether gold ETFs are likely to lose their luster this year. Can ETFs offer a way to invest in Asia without involving China? And see whether dividend-oriented ETF investors are in for a shock when the utility sectors slows down.

Also in this week's Barron's:

An economist who sees woes ahead for China, Russia and Canada.

• Whether Under Armour Inc UA trades at a discount.
• Why to buy Alphabet Inc GOOGL, Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and Facebook Inc FB now.
• The best emerging markets funds.
• Whether Caterpillar Inc. CAT and Deere & Company DE dividends are in jeopardy.
• The outlook for Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. HE.
• Five top stock picks, including dividend payers and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

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

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