This weekend in Barron's online: the case for splitting up PepsiCo, Barron's annual ranking of the top independent advisors, as well as the prospects for Hasbro, TransCanada, Bunge and more.
Cover Story
"Time for PepsiCo to Split Up?" by Robin Goldwyn Blumenthal.
For years, some investors have grumbled that PepsiCo's (NYSE: PEP) soft drink business was a drag on the more lucrative and faster growing Frito-Lay snack foods business, says this week's cover story in Barron's.
Activist investor Nelson Peltz, a proponent of splitting the company into separate businesses, told Barron's: "Shareholders are not happy with the status quo. While we think the best path forward to unlock value is a spinoff of the beverage business, we are open-minded."
See how Peltz and Pepsi have gone back and forth on this issue over the past year, and why Pepsi is reluctant to split up the way Kraft Foods and others have done. The article takes a look at how Pepsi has fared against rival Coca-Cola and the S&P 500, and it examines the role that Frito-Lay plays in the company's fortunes.
See also: Pepsi Hits 52-Week High on Strong Q2, Upbeat Outlook
Special Feature: Independent Advisors Rankings
Steve Garmhausen's "Scaling the Heights" reveals how, with stocks near record levels, the top 100 independent financial advisors remain focused on the long term. This is Barron's annual ranking of the top independent advisors.
"How to Pick a Financial Advisor" by Steve Garmhausen presents a Barron's guide to the process of investigating a financial advisor before settling on one. See why it pays to do a thorough check financial advisor first.
Feature Stories
In "Hasbro Could Return 20%," Jack Hough points out that, at 55, Mattel's Barbie is showing her age. However, Hasbro's (NYSE: HAS) Transformers and My Little Pony brands are still hot enough that the toymaker is outpacing its main rival.
TransCanada (NYSE: TRP) is an attractive alternative to U.S. master limited partnerships, says "Why TransCanada Could Rise 35%" by Andrew Bary. The Calgary-based energy infrastructure company has a robust pipeline and generates lots of cash.
See "More Bumper Crops, Fewer Bumps at Bunge" for Jack Willoughby's take on why, if a new CEO can keep the unexpected from happening again, shares of Bunge (NYSE: BG) could see a gain of up to 15 percent.
"Writing a Bigger Book" by Sarah Max features a profile of Joel Greenblatt, manager of Gotham Asset Management and author of "The Little Book That Beats the Market." Discover why Greenblatt diversifies much more in his newest fund offerings.