Benzinga's Bulls And Bears For The Week: Starbucks, Tesla, United And More

• Benzinga has featured a look at many investor favorite stocks over the past week.
• That includes two iconic brands that have been facing PR nightmares.
• Two picks on the fence and some that are riding high were also examined.

PepsiCo, Inc. PEP and United Continental Holdings Inc UAL have had a rough week or so on the public relations front. Shares of the latter dropped more than 5 percent early this past week, taking a sizable chunk of market value with it. The United marketing department may be glad it was a holiday-shortened week.

Along with Pepsi and United, the following are just a few investor favorite trading ideas featured by Benzinga during the past week.

Surviving PR Disasters

"How United Airlines Can Repair Its Reputation" by Brett Hershman takes a look at what United Continental should do now that investors and the public are wondering if the company can recover from the significant reputational damage the brand has experienced. Plus, United's reputation had already been trending negatively for months.

In "The Most Likely Targets For A Kraft Heinz Deal: Mondelez Or Pepsi," Jim Swanson examines why PepsiCo makes the most sense strategically for the tie-up that Kraft Heinz Co KHC needs. However, it may be up against Mondelez International Inc MDLZ as another likely contender.

On The Fence

Jim Swanson's "The Bull-Bear Debate On Starbucks Still Brewing" takes a look at why Starbucks Corporation SBUX may be at a crossroads. While the company's history of success and its leadership position are strong, surprisingly some investors are more bearish on the coffee company.

While Tesla Inc TSLA shares have gained about 40 percent year to date, not all investors are enthusiastic, according to "Despite Tesla's Stock Trading At All-Time Highs, Many Investors Are Concerned" by Jayson Derrick. See why several large shareholders are demanding a meeting with executives to discuss what they are unhappy with.

Riding High

In Brett Hershman's "These 3 Companies Captured 84% Of American Business Last Year," see why McDonald's Corporation MCD, Target Corporation TGT and Wal-Mart Stores Inc WMT rule when it comes to market penetration. And see the rest of the top 25 retailers and restaurants, according to a recent study.

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