It's Friday, Here's Your 6-Pack!

In the stock market lately, several great names have been at great prices in my opinion.
Companies like Pfizer (PFE), German American (GABC), Cedar Fair (FUN), Kimball International (KBALB), Duke Realty (DRE), and Bank of America (BAC) all have some local ties too. Two are headquartered in nearby Jasper (GABC & KBALB), PFE has a plant in Terre Haute, and DRE is headquartered in Indianapolis. Of course, BAC is everywhere.

All are paying healthy dividends rivaling top-paying CD rates, while having the potential to have a nice run up in the coming years, as soon as everyone figures out if the nation is in a recession or not. Some would even call these picks "defensive" since pharmaceuticals tend to do well when the overall economy isn't, and KBALB has a strong balance sheet to weather some storms too.

Notice that this "6-pack" of stocks is in different industries. (Well, there are two banks I guess, although one is nationwide and the other has a footprint in Southern Indiana only.) This is key because a diversified 6-pack will perform typically as follows: two will perform very well, two will just tread water, and two will lag. You just have to expect and accept that going into it.

Oh, and in case you began reading this thinking you were going to get free beer, you can always try Anheuser-Busch (BUD) as a long-term keeper. After all, they have a great business: when times are good people drink, and when times are bad they drink... they pay a little less in dividends (about 2.5% right now) though.