Van Meerten's picks

I like Hormel. They make the best marinated pork tenderloins around. The Garlic & Herb properly braised is to die for and who could resist the Hormel Tamales over rice. The Hawaiians know that SPAM is the best thing around even though MicroSoft spends millions on SPAM blockers.

This is a stock that just keeps on truckin'. Year over year earnings just keep climbing each and every year. The earnings from operations and the dividends also have increased year over year. The dividend payout rate has remained stable and the dividends have increased.

Fundamentally this is a great stock. They cater to the low end consumer market and as times get tougher their product will be more in demand to a broader market.

During the last six months the stock has been off around 27% but the market has fallen of 40% during the same period.

The stock price says it all. Here we have a stock that in all that's going on has increasing revenue, profits and dividends and is reacting to downward pressure slower than the market. They sell a product that is universally lower end and inexpensive has sell brands that have been the staple of middle American pantries for years.

If you've got to have a few core holdings both in your portfolio and in your pantry this should be one of them.

Jim Van Meerten
The Amateur Msn.com Strategy Lab

Contributor on:
MSN.com Money Central
Marketocracy.com
SeekingAlpha.com
InvestorPlacecom
MoneyShow.com

Comments: View Comments |  Sunday November 16, 2008