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This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.

Tylenol is probably the most recognizable brand name for the pain reliever acetaminophen. In addition to being a pain reliever, Tylenol also reduces fevers. It was created in 1955 as Tylenol Elixir for children, and was the first aspirin-free pain reliever. It was initially available only by prescription, but became available without a prescription in 1960.

The product is made and marketed by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a brand owned by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ). Tylenol falls within the Consumer segment of J&J, which had sales of $14.5 billion in 2007. Over-the-counter pharmaceuticals represented $5.1 billion in sales, or 35% of the segment's sales.

Excedrin is a pain reliever that combines acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. (Caffeine is known to enhance the effectiveness of aspirin and acetaminophen.) It's a product of Novartis (NYSE: NVS), a Switzerland-based company that bought the Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) consumer medicine business in 2005. Novartis produces a variety of consumer health care products, with 2007 revenue of $39.8 billion.

Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) said it will eliminate 1,200 U.S. sales jobs, about 15% of the drugmaker's sales force. This comes after last week the FDA rejected its experimental cholesterol pill Cordaptive.

The third-largest U.S. drugmaker has cut 8,100 jobs globally since the beginning of its restructuring plan, Plan to Win, in late 2005. But as Cordaptive, which was supposed to offset some of the losses Merck is expecting from generics coming into the market, fell through, the cost cutting side of the plan took on an added urgency.

Cordaptive and generics aren't Merck's only problem. The FDA also recently suggested its other cholesterol pills, Zetia and Vytorin, aren't any better than an older, cheaper treatment. Merck said it expects to lose as much as 61% of sales for these drugs.

So none of this comes as no surprise really; not in light of Merck's problems, and not in light of the industry's. Other drugmakers, including Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY), Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) have announced job cuts as they face more competition from generic substitutions. Merck is also planning some plant closures.

Merck's shares lost nearly 33% of their value year-to-date, as it was partly down with the overall market and partly due to the string of bad news that seemed to have hit most hard recently. It is trading not far from its 52-week low.

While Merck is saying it will still fight the FDA decision on Cordaptive and try to convince doctors about Vytorin, the actions it is taking seem reactive, not proactive. Without much to offer in its arsenal of upcoming possibilities, Merck, at least for now, seems to have lost the potential for meaningful growth.

This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.

Among the phrases that mystify me is "Too sweet" -- I was born with 28 sweet teeth. The sweetener holder in most restaurants today holds at least two different ersatz sugars; Sweet'N Low and Splenda. Which is better?

Sweet'N Low has the history. It first came on the market back in 1957 when the key ingredient, saccharin was packaged in the same single-serving sleeves used for sugar. It is still owned by the originators, privately held Cumberland Packing Group. Although the intensely sweet saccharin had been around since the start of the century, it took Sweet'N Low marketing and an increasing focus on the nation's waistline to popularize it.

The product's primary advantage is cost; a packet sells for slightly over a penny a serving. Downsides include bitterness that some users distinguish, and the inability to use it in baking and cooking, as it breaks down under heat.

There were a lot of earnings reports this week -- if you weren't setting up some trades before the reports were released, you're probably digesting the numbers now. I had a look at 3M (NYSE: MMM) this morning. The famous Dow component, which competes with Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and DuPont (NYSE: DD), reported this past Thursday. Net sales increased 9%, but diluted earnings per share unfortunately took a whopping decline of 25%. However, you need to take a look at what caused this drop -- there was a gain in last year's quarter from the disposition of a European pharmaceutical business, as well as some other items. Excluding these elements, you'll find that earnings per share grew by 8%.

According to the company's release, 3M did rather well in the free-cash-flow department. Last year at this time, free cash flow came in at $276 million. This past quarter saw free cash flow grow to just under $700 million. I liked that; I also liked that most of the company's divisions reported double-digit profit growth. This is a healthy, blue-chip dividend player -- plus, 3M is comfortable with its previously stated forward guidance of at least $5.47 in adjusted earnings per share for 2008 (or, as the release put it, management believes net income will see an increase of "a minimum of 10% over 2007 earnings-per-share of $4.98"), and it beat the street this past quarter by three pennies, according to Briefing.com.

Here are some things to think about regarding 3M's stock. If it does earn close to $5.47 a share, then the company sports a forward P/E ratio of a little over 14. The yield on the shares is well over 2%. And, as of Friday's close, the price of the stock -- $77.82 -- is well off the 52-week high of $97 and a little ways off from the 52-week low of $72.05. Taken together, this 3M scenario seems like an interesting set-up for a decent trade. The stock looks like it will probably meander for a bit, but it nevertheless should be looked at.

Disclosure: I don't own shares in any of the companies mentioned here; positions can change at any time.

Wal-Mart Tops Fortune 500 List
The retail giant is on top for the second year in a row, while AT&T moves up and GM slips. See who ranks where on the definitive list of America's largest companies and why.
FORTUNE 500 2008: Annual ranking of America's largest corporations from Fortune Magazine


Stocks: Where the Big Bucks Lurk
A closer look at S&P's list of stocks with big cash hoards and top analyst rankings show these 20 companies are sitting pretty. They include Apple, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Disney, EMC, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, J&J, Microsoft, Oracle, Paychex, P&G to name a few.
Cash-Rich Companies


Mom's New Battle: The Food Price Bulge
As American families face the double whammy of higher gas and food prices, moms nationwide are resorting to considerable ingenuity to stretch their monthly grocery budget. Beyond clipping coupons, families are embracing generic grocery brands, and making their own baby food and detergent.
Soaring food prices elicit creative solutions from moms - CNNmoney

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Bear Stearns Cos. Inc. (NYSE: BSC) reported a profit that missed expectations by a penny.
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) posted higher profits in the first quarter, boosted by global gains.
• Charles Schwab Corp. (NASDAQ: SCHW) first-quarter earnings were in line with expectations.
• Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) posted a bigger-than-expected loss on further write-downs.
• Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) lowered first-quarter guidance led the stock to a new 52-week low.
• Eaton Corp. (NYSE: ETN) beat first-quarter estimates due to strong demand overseas.
• Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.
• ITT Corp. (NYSE: ITT) raised its first-quarter and full-year earnings guidance.
• Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.
• JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) beat expectations though first-quarter profits fell
• Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE: MER) posted a bigger-than-expected first-quarter loss due to write-downs.
• TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: AMTD) second-quarter EPS rose 35%, but revenue fell.
• U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) beat first-quarter earnings expectations thought profits slipped.
• Wachovia Corp. (NYSE: WB) posted its first quarterly loss since 2001 and cut its dividend.
• Washington Mutual Inc. (NYSE: WM) swung to a first-quarter loss of more than $1 billion.
• Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) beat expectations though first-quarter profits fell.

With traders increasingly worried about the housing market and the credit crunch, health products maker Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) gave an optimistic note to Wall Street by posting a surprising growth in its first-quarter profit. The company reported better-than-expected earnings, with some help from favorable exchange rates.

For the quarter, the company said that its profit surged 40% to $3.6 billion, or $1.26 per share, helped by strong sales of many key products. These numbers are up from $2.57 billion, or 88 cents a share, reported in the same period a year earlier. Analysts, on average, expected the company to show quarterly earnings of $1.20 a share.

The health products maker posted growth of 7.7% for its first-quarter revenue, which climbed to $16.19 billion from $15.04 billion a year earlier. During the period, Johnson & Johnson benefited from the weak dollar which was a major driver for its consumer products sales. Analysts expected the company show revenue of $15.83 billion in the third quarter, according to Thomson Financial.

Times Up! Send Something to IRS Today or Pay Consequences
The tax man will not be ignored. You must send something to the IRS today ... or face the consequences. These are the penalties for not filing a return or extension today and tips for what you have to do today.
Tax day is here. Send something to the IRS today or pay the consequences - Bankrate.com Can't pay your tax bill? IRS offers payment options


What Are You Going to Do With Your Tax Rebate?
Starting in early May, more than 130 million Americans -- or at least, those who have filed a tax return by the deadline at midnight tonight -- will receive tax rebates ranging from $300 to $600, or $1,200 for married couples, plus $300 for each dependent child. The rebates, which represent a one-time cut in 2008 tax rates, are intended to help rescue the economy from recession by encouraging consumer spending. But will Americans spend the rebates?
What are you going to do with your tax rebate? - USATODAY.com


World's Richest Women
They're glamorous, powerful and very, very rich. What's not to envy? In 2008, Forbes counted 99 female billionaires, 16 more than last year, but still representing slightly less than 9% of the world's 1,125 billionaires. Only 10 women billionaires are self made, having built their vast fortunes themselves. Whether it be beauty, power, brains or all of the above, these 12 billionaires all have admirable assets beyond what even money can buy.
In Pictures: The World's Billionaire Women - Forbes.com


to Watch

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expect Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) to post a smaller profit for the first quarter, while Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is expected to report a profit gain. Both companies are scheduled to report results on Tuesday.

Intel is expected to earn 25 cents per share, which is down 7.4% from the same period in 2007 when it earned 27 cents. But the company has tended to beat quarterly estimates recently. In the third quarter of 2007, it beat the consensus estimate by 2.1%. However, in the fourth quarter it fell short by 2.2%.

Santa Clara, California-based Intel remains the leading maker of semiconductors. In the past year, its revenues were $38.3 billion and its net income totaled $6.97 billion. Its EPS growth forecast for the year is 9.7%, which is better than the technology sector average and the S&P 500. The consensus recommendation of analysts is still to buy Intel.

The stock has gained 3.8% in the past year and it trades at a P/E of 18.00. Shares closed Friday at $21.24.

Monday, April 14

• PDUFA date for Solvay S.A. (ADR) (OTC: SVYSY)'s standard supplemental New Drug Application, or sNDA, for AndroGel PD for the treatment of adolescent male Constitutional Delay in Growth and Puberty (CDGP); for which they are requesting pediatric exclusivity.
• Alpharma, Inc. (NYSE: ALO) to give 2008 financial outlook update at 8:30am.
• Eaton Corporation (ETN) to report Q1 earnings; conference call at 10:00am.

Tuesday, April 15

• PDUFA date for GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE: GSK) and Pozen Inc. (NASDAQ: POZN)'s Trexinet, which has priority for 1st-line therapy for acute migraines.
• PDUFA date for Sciele Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: SCRX) and Novo Nordisk A/S (ADR) (NYSE: NVO)'s PrandiMet for non-insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus/Type 2 Diabetes treatment.
• Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) to report Q1 earnings; conference call at 8:30am.
• Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) to report Q1 earnings; conference call at 5:30pm.

Wednesday, April 16

• San Francisco Fed Bank President Yellen to speak on the Economic Outlook in San Francisco at 11:45am.
• International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) to report Q1 earnings; conference call at 4:30pm.
• eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) to report Q1 earnings; conference call at 5:00pm.

Investment Quality Trends -- one of the most respected newsletters in the advisory field -- uses a proprietary strategy that assesses historic level of stock price to yield; it's goal is to buy those stocks offering the best potential for downside protection and upside appreciation.

Here, editor Kelley Wright explains his methodology and highlights his current "Timely Ten" stocks that best match his time-tested criteria.

"Investors who wished to hold every stock in that we currently rank in the 'Undervalued and Rising Trend' categories, would need to hold one hundred twenty six stocks as of March; clearly too many positions to be practical.

"Our Timely Ten, therefore, is our reasoned expectation based on our methodology and experience for what we believe will perform best over the next five years.

"Do we believe that all 10 will go up simultaneously or immediately? Of course not. Our four decades of research and experience, however, leads us to believe that these stocks, purchased at current Undervalued levels, are well positioned for appreciation.

Yesterday, I met up with a health care venture capitalist. He mentioned that M&A is likely to be a big factor over the next few years. After all, major pharma companies will have a variety of their blockbuster drugs go off-patent.

Well, interestingly enough, we got a mega-deal today; that is, Takeda Pharmaceuticals (the top drug company in Japan) has agreed to pay $8.8 billion for Millennium Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MLNM), which develops biopharmaceuticals for such things as cancer and inflammatory diseases (its top drug is Velcade). There is also a key strategic relationship with Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ).

No doubt, the Millennium deal is fairly rich – with a valuation at 17 times revenues. Then again, Millennium is growing quickly and has a promising stable of drugs. And as for Takeda, it has two major drugs -- Prevacid and Actos – that will come off-patent in 2009 and 2011. In other words, the company has really no other option but to pay up on deals.

In today's trading, Millennium's stock price is up 49.72% to $24.48.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is one of my favorite companies. No, I don't own it; I should, I know, but I can't own everything. Nevertheless, I love P&G for its great collection of brands that dominate supermarket shelves. And, I also love that blue-chip dividend it pays out.

Well, the company announced that shareholders are going to get a raise. The quarterly payout increased 14% to $0.40 per share. Can P&G afford to do this? How does one check? Well, you'll want to look at a company's cash flow. P&G's latest 10Q shows that, for the latest six-month period, the Dow component generated $7.4 billion in operational cash. P&G spent about $1.2 billion for capital expenditures. Dividend obligations were $2.3 billion. Adding up the dividend payments and the cap-ex requirements shows that $7.4 billion amply took care of both financial activities. Yeah, I'd say that P&G can afford the nice double-digit increase.

Here's another nifty thing. Since the new annual payment is $1.60 per share, investors can buy P&G shares all the way up to a share price of $80 and still get a 2% yield. Yeah, that might not sound like much, but an excellent, dependable, low-risk blue-chip equity with a yield 2% or higher isn't something to dismiss. So, like PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), and Clorox (NYSE: CLX), Procter & Gamble is a safe consumer-goods stock that should be looked to as a potential core holding. This latest dividend increase offers further evidence of such thinking.

Disclosure: I don't own shares in any of the companies mentioned; positions can change at any time.

Ted Allrich is the founder of The Online Investor and author of the just released book: Comfort Zone Investing: Build Wealth And Sleep Well At Night. In this weekly column, he'll offer advice to investors who are just getting started.

By definition, no. Stocks carry risk. If you don't want risk, put your money in treasury bills or under the mattress. But don't expect much of a return, if any. Having said that, certain stocks do have attributes that make them relatively, and I emphasize this word, relatively, safer investments than others.

First and foremost, they have solid earnings. The best ones increase earnings every year for several years, no matter what the economy does. Examples: Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO), Johnson and Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG), Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL). If you've watched these stocks during the last 6 months, they've gone down but nowhere near the depths of most others. They have solid earnings investors can count on. Investors pay for that.