Barron's Picks And Pans: GE, Intel, Facebook And More

This weekend's Barron's offers more than one look at an iconic industrial blue chip that is widely expected to cut its dividend. Other featured articles discuss a leading chip maker that is diversifying and a social media giant with overlooked good news.

Five other industrial stock picks that have safe dividends are also featured:

"Intel Pushes Into Artificial Intelligence to Boost Growth" by Jack Hough examines how chip giant Intel Corporation INTC is using new product development and acquisitions to diversify beyond PCs, where it dominated for decades. Plus, the stock is cheap. See why Barron's thinks shares could rise another 25 percent and still trade at a small discount to the market.

Jack Hough's "JPMorgan Analyst: The Case Against GE" takes a look at why this top analyst says a dividend cut is among the steps new General Electric Company GE CEO John Flannery will have to take to effect a turnaround. Find out how GE's free cash flow stacks up against its peers. Also discover what other industrial stock the analyst favors instead of GE.

In "A Powerful Bearish Trend in GE Shares," Michael Kahn discusses whether, with investors' confidence eroded and its stock price at 2012 levels, now is the time to buy shares of General Electric. How often can investors get what was once a blue-chip stock at a fire sale price of 39 percent off its peak price is what the story asks. And see what the charts have to say about whether the shares really are a bargain now.

Due to its anticipated dividend cut, GE is not one of the stock picks that boast good dividends in "5 Good Industrial Bets for Income Investors" by Lawrence C. Strauss. See why Honeywell International Inc. HON, United Technologies Corporation UTX and others appear to have the financial strength to keep growing their payouts for the next several years.

In Emily Bary's follow-up article, "Despite Security Issues, Facebook Still Looks Like a Buy," see why Barron's says the political-advertising imbroglio has obscured good revenue news. Find out what has unexpectedly driven up demand — as well as prices — for Facebook Inc FB ads at a time when many investors were braced for a slowdown in revenue growth.

Also in this week's Barron's:

• How sexual harassment is becoming a serious investment risk
• What investors need to know about the tax bill
• Who are the winners and losers in artificial intelligence
• Whether the good times for Japanese stocks will continue
• How investors will react to GE's investor day
• Europe's economic dilemma
• Whether gold will rise despite rate hikes
• Why risk is rising on high-yield bonds

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

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