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Stock picks by the pros
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December 19, 2001: 2:50 p.m. ET
ATMs, sofas, bed springs and chocolate attract analysts' attention.
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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - A warning from a leading cell phone maker dragged the Nasdaq into negative territory Wednesday while the Dow moved higher on news from the world's largest soft drink maker.
Motorola said it will cut another 9,400 jobs, on top of the 39,000 cuts previously announced, as it struggles to return to profitability. The company also said sales may drop 5-to-10 percent in 2002 as customer spending remains sluggish.
Coca-Cola lifted the Dow after the company said it sees worldwide case volume increasing 4-to-5 percent in the fourth quarter as North American sales continue to improve.
Still, for those looking to enter the markets before the holiday break, analysts and strategists appeared on CNNfn to suggest some stocks in the furniture, food, and manufacturing sectors.
Alan Kral, portfolio manager with Trevor Stewart Burton & Jacobsen, likes positions in companies that manufacture automatic teller machines due to the increasing versatility of ATMs.
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ALAN KRAL'S PICKS
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Diebold (DBD)
NCR Corp. (NCR)
Hershey Foods (HSY)
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"What's happening with these companies is they're starting to build machines that do more than just dispense money," he said. "You can get detailed information on your accounts. You can get check records printed out, account statements. You can have your credit checked. It will cash a payroll check. So, as people get more and more adept with their finances, they'll be using more and more machines like this."
Kral suggests plays in ATM manufacturers Diebold and NCR Corp.
Kral's final selection is Hershey Foods. "Hershey is the kind of consumer stock that is going to deliver reasonably consistent numbers that I think the market is going to reward," he said.
Shares of Hershey Foods (HSY: up $0.45 to $66.98, Research, Estimates) are in a 52-week range of $70.15 to $55.12.
Diebold (DBD: down $0.02 to $39.47, Research, Estimates) shares have been between $41.10 and $25.75 in the last year.
Shares of NCR Corp. (NCR: down $0.33 to $36.94, Research, Estimates) are in a 52-week range of $50.00 to $28.59.
Bernadette Murphy, market analyst with Kimelman & Baird, focuses on stocks that will take advantage of the hot housing market.
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BERNADETTE MURPHY'S PICKS
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Ethan Allen (ETH)
Leggett & Platt (LEG)
Home Depot (HD)
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"We've seen the housing starts and they're unbelievable. When you build a house you have to furnish it, and Ethan Allen makes good, solid furniture," she said. "People also need new beds, and Leggett & Platt makes the springs for beds. In retail, Home Depot has been quite strong and it's had quite a run, but I still think there's more to go."
Shares of Ethan Allen (ETH: up $0.33 to $40.44, Research, Estimates) are in a 52-wek range of $40.50 to $26.51.
Leggett & Platt (LEG: down $0.02 to $23.15, Research, Estimates) shares have been between $24.45 and $15.75 in the last year.
Shares of Home Depot (HD: up $0.23 to $50.39, Research, Estimates) are in a 52-week range of $53.73 to $30.30. 
* Disclaimer
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