Barron's Picks And Pans: Harvey Stocks, Nathan's Famous And The End Of The Bull

• This weekend's Barron's cover story helps investors prepare for the coming bear market.
• Other featured articles discuss how insurance, refiner and auto stocks are expected to fare in the wake of the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey.
• The prospects for a high-profile brand food maker are also examined.

"Lights Out for Stocks," the cover story by Ben Levisohn, suggests that the long bull market might be nearing an end, but investors can ensure that they don't get trampled when it does. See what to watch for from tech giants like Apple Inc. AAPL and Alphabet Inc GOOGL. See whether so-called orphan stocks are worth seeking out, and how to prepare to take advantage of cheap stocks after any sell off.

Andrew Bary's "Harvey Losses Won't Sink Insurers" points out that Hurricane Harvey could be one of the costliest disasters for property and casualty insurers, but it likely won't be enough to meaningfully dent the industry's huge capital base. See why Barron's believes Chubb Ltd CB is one of the better industry plays and Allstate Corp ALL may be worth a look too.

In "Underwater: Houston's Refiners, Not the Stocks," Avi Salzman makes a case that though their shares probably will be volatile, in the long run there is opportunity in the refiner stocks. Find out why one analyst quoted in the article is partial to Marathon Petroleum Corp MPC, and why another has an eye on a different refiner that may benefit even without Gulf Coast exposure.

See Also: Oppenheimer Presents New Menu Of Top Picks

Has Hurricane Harvey solved the auto industry's inventory problem, asks "After the Store" by Alex Eule? A big part of the post-storm insurance dollars will go to replace flooded cars. Discover how shares of everything from Ford Motor Company F to CarMax, Inc KMX to Avis Budget Group Inc. CAR have fared over the past week.

In Adam Seessel's, "Nathan's Famous Offers Tasty Growth at a Discount," see how franchising is fueling profit growth for fabled hot-dog brand Nathan's Famous, Inc. NATH, but shares trade at a 40 percent to 45 percent discount to net asset value. How long can that last? "They have significant cash flow, and a brand that is gaining more traction," says a renowned analyst.

Also in this week's Barron's:

• The job the Federal Reserve can't get done
• A contrarian play on the FANG stocks
• Two online brokers merge platforms
• Two fund firms merge
• Why not to be dazzled by gold
• The safest dividends in retailing
• How to find opportunity in high-yield bonds