Chevron

Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips are all trading near multi-year highs, and even BP shares have done well recently. Still, while the high oil prices that have been pinching consumers have been great for the industry, there are good reasons not to count on those high stock values lasting.

Mergers and acquisitions are becoming ever more popular, with activity up 24% in the first two months of this year -- after already growing 23% in 2010. Here's how your portfolio can benefit from this trend.

Can you profit from the turmoil in the Middle East? Oil is now flirting around $100 a barrel and gold is continuing its upward trend. For investors, this could present an opportunity in oil and gold stocks. Here is the bull and bear take on three stocks that could rise on Mideast unrest.

Stocks fell again on Wednesday, and oil prices briefly crossed the $100-a-barrel mark after violence escalated in Libya. Oil traders are spooked about the possible spread of turmoil. Tech bellwether HP's disappointing outlook also hurt.

With corporate earnings season in full swing -- watch for McDonalds, along with Catepillar, Amazon and other -- and with the Fed meeting on interest rates, the GDP estimate and housing numbers coming out -- the week ahead is expected to be quite busy.

Wall Street's consensus sees the S&P 500 tacking on an 11% gain over the next 12 months -- with lots of ups and downs along the way. That has us inclined to play defense, with an eye toward bargain stocks paying generous, sustainable dividends. Here are our top 11 picks for 2011.

Chevron (CVX) will buy Atlas Energy (ATN) for $3.2 billion cash and $1.1 billion of assumed net debt. Acquiring Atlas will give Chevron a greater presence in the Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale natural-gas deposits. Sponsored Links "This acquisition is the right opportunity for Chevron," said...

Chevron Corp. (CVX) reported earnings of $1.87 for the quarter, down from $1.92 a year earlier. The 2009 results were boosted by upstream asset sales and discrete tax items. Sales and other operating revenues were $48 billion in the third quarter of 2010, compared with $45 billion a year...

Stocks fell sharply Tuesday after a surprise rate hike from China's central bank and mixed quarterly earnings reports led to heavy selling in technology, materials and energy stocks.

Oil giant Chevron said it will purchase as much as $1 billion of its common stock in the fourth quarter -- a move its CFO chalks up to "ongoing capital discipline and strong cash flows."