Increased dividend to $0.60 from $0.59 for shareholders of record on Dec 8.

I think the public needs to embrace the companies that I highlight in Getting Back to Even: either high-yielders such as Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP) or the accidental high-yielders such as Honeywell (HON) and VF Corporation (VFC) or the companies that are part of a larger wave of growth such as Apple (AAPL), FLIR Systems (FLIR) and ArcSight (ARST) (the tsunamis of smartphones and homeland security).

Remember all those 2008-’09 recession-era promises to cut spending and save more? Well, Americans may improve in this area, but let’s face it: When we finally have access to more money, we’re going to spend it. That’s why a retail stock will be an important part of any recovery portfolio. Cramer’s favorite right now? VF Corp. The company owns “some of the best-known, highest-quality brands” – Wrangler, North Face and Vans, among others – he says, it has “the best strategy in the business,” and the management team is “visionary.”

We saw a big move in retail and retail-related, stocks like VF Corp. (VFC) and Ralph Lauren (RL) and Jones Apparel (JNY). Then they got stopped in their tracks and seemed like they would roll back to more reasonable levels. Now they are powering forward.

Also in the article is a description of CIT's factoring business -- high interest loans to struggling companies. I know for a fact that these kinds of loans backed by the receivables coming in are used aggressively by small clothing manufacturers. That means that if you are an owner of VF Corp. (VFC) or Jones Apparel (JNY) -- nice quarter there -- you could be in for a windfall as CIT pulls back.

That means you can make a lot more money on the oil-user side: retail like Kohls (KSS), J.C. Penney's (JCP) and Macy's (M); restaurants like Brinker (EAT) and Darden (DRI); apparel like Jones (JNY), VF Corp. (VFC) and Nike (NKE); as well as anything that goes into Best Buy (BBY).

"Meanwhile people have decided that the shopping season is back with an amazing move in Target (TGT) -- maybe people are happy that the Pershing plan is not happening! Also VF Corp. (VFC) and Nike (NKE), the two most beaten up in the group just on fire.
So much lack of safety." ("Saftey Last," 6-1-09)

Same thing with a stock like a Verizon (VZ) or AT&T (T). Same with PPG (PPG). Same with VF Corp. (VFC). Same with Nike (NKE). They are going to have good numbers with all of this retail activity. This is the break I want to use to buy a stock like that. Nothing wrong with them. Good yields. They will see a turn if things get better.

I am sitting here actually hoping that Doug Kass is right, because, well, let's take VF Corp. (VFC). I was hoping it would come in more so I could buy more. It is much too cheap after that hammering yesterday.

Good solid company.