This combination of factors yield stocks that will let you weather harshest economic conditions.

The Results
We sifted through consumer staple stocks to find some of the highest yielding picks. If it’s security and stability you’re after, these stocks are worth a look.

The Bottom Line
One of the biggest draws of consumer staples stocks is slow and steady growth. While companies in more cyclical industries can swing Readmore >>

The development of the dry gas Haynesville Shale by the exploration and production industry continued in the first quarter of 2012, albeit at a dramatically lower rate than in previous years. This drop in activity is due to the higher price of crude oil and other liquids relative to natural gas.

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Haynesville Shale
The Readmore >>

Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR) has an extensive portfolio of exploration prospects in inventory and hopes to continue the company’s historical success in converting these prospects into productive status.

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Exploration History
Murphy Oil has a successful track record in exploring new oil and gas properties Readmore >>

Despite some slight (70 basis points) erosion in GAAP gross margin, Agilent did well in terms of expense control. SGA and research and development both declined as a percentage of sales (and SGA declined slightly in real dollars as well), allowing the company to post 13% operating income growth.

The real story coming out of the quarter is the order book. Orders rose 8% this quarter, giving Agilent a company-wide book-to-bill of 1.06 versus 1.02 a year ago. Order growth (and book-to-bill) Readmore >>