In This Issue: •The Buck Tops Here: International outperformance is likely to accelerate as dollar decline resumes. •STARS Status: Changes in S&P analysts' STARS rankings for February 20 through February 23. •Global Bonds Go Mainstream: Consider adding this asset class to your portfolio. •I Can Get It for You Wholesale: Best bargains among STARS stocks. •Pinched Pennies: American consumers are increasingly sending cash-strapped signals. •Heat Mining: Energy Underfoot: Geothermal energy rising from the earth's core could be a major source of clean power in the future. •Master List Stocks Update: Our three supervised Master List groups of stocks, recommended as core holdings for long-term investors, are regularly featured on these two pages. The Total Return Portfolio, highlighted this week, consists of stocks we like for income. •S&P's Platinum Portfolio: This portfolio offers the best of both worlds: S&P's STARS ranking system, based on fundamental analysis, and Fair Value, S&P's proprietary quantitative model. Some of the Companies Featured: Allstate
Altria Group
Ball
Bank of America
Chubb
Duke Energy
Endurance Specialty
General Mills
Halliburton
Home Properties
Microchip Technology
Mohawk Industries
Oneok
Regions Financial
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