With brands like Dove, Lipton's, and Ben & Jerry's, this consumer staples company makes products that are a "soothing balm" in tough economic times, writes Charles Stanley analyst Jeremy Batstone-Carr. As a result, the company's first-quarter results were better than analysts had expected, in part because operating margins and pricing held up.
The company is slashing costs in developed markets like the U.S. and Western Europe while dedicating more resources to emerging markets, where there is more potential for faster growth when the world economic picture stabilizes.
--K.B.
