Before Investing in a Company

When markets go down, not all companies go down equally. Some go down more than others. And some actually go up.

Picking companies that go against the market is hard. As a rule of thumb, only about 20 percent of them are able to swim against the tide. But when the market is falling (as it is right now), it makes more sense to invest in individual stocks than in indexes that go down with the market. At least with individual stocks, you have a chance of picking strong companies that can survive and even prosper in a bear market.

If you're going to invest in individual stocks, here is what you should look for...

1. Companies with plenty of cash to spend on what they need in order to grow
2. Companies with low debt
3. Companies with products that sell - or can be tweaked to sell - in tough economic times
4. Companies in recession-resistant sectors (like healthcare and staples)

Wal-Mart qualifies on all four counts. And, not surprisingly, its stock has been doing much better than most. That's the kind of company you should be focusing on in these difficult times.




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