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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.

Altria Group Inc. (MO) posted a decline in first-quarter profit, but earnings from continuing operations actually increased 5.4 percent to 39 cents a share from 37 cents a year earlier. The largest U.S. tobacco company had to walk a fine line in the quarter, increasing prices three times to help...

No one seems to be in the stock market lately. The Dow industrials and the S&P 500 reached 1997 levels Monday as investors lost confidence in the government plans to pull the economy out of its doldrums and fix the financials markets. Is now the time to be contrarian? If you think so, here are...

After another sell-off day, investors are no doubt jittery, but at some point the market will have to find a bottom. In the meantime, many continue to build positions in stocks they deem are cheap, defensive or have the growth potential to come out of the recession strongly. Here are some ideas...