Ford Motor Co. (F). Investors haven't been kind to Ford, which must compete against Japanese rivals that can manufacture a car for about $2,000 less, on average, than Ford can. Slowing auto sales amid the current economic slump don't help. But the troubled automaker has been turning the corner under Alan Mulally, who took over as chief executive officer in October 2006. He earned a reputation as an innovator and efficient cost cutter when he was a key executive at Boeing before shifting to Ford. He has plans to make Ford more efficient by reducing the number of parts needed to build its vehicles. He signed a historic deal with the auto workers' union to move $22 billion in retiree health care to a union-run trust, which got this expense off the corporation's balance sheet. McGinn expects the stock to double in the next 18 months. Recent share price: $5.70.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). The depressed shares of Johnson & Johnson, which is the world's largest health care and consumer products company, look quite attractive now. The company provides strong diversification with its three major divisions that sells pharmaceutical, medical devices and such highly regarded consumer products as Tylenol, Band-Aid and Motrin. It beefed up its consumer line with the purchase of Pfizer's health care division, which includes Listerine, Sudafed, Zantac and Benadryl. J&J also has a very good lineup of drugs planned for the future. Recent share price: $62.55.

Bottom Line interviewed Bernie McGinn, MBA, CFA, who is a former adjunct finance professor at Georgetown University and the chief investment officer and president of McGinn Investment Management, Inc., an investment advisory firm that manages large-cap stocks in Alexandria, Virginia. During the 10 years through December 31, 2007, the firm's large-cap composite portfolio generated annual returns averaging 8.4%, compared with 5.9% for the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index.

Q: Do alarm company signs really deter burglars?

A: These signs and stickers actually help thieves choose targets. Thieves assume that houses with these signs have things worth stealing. A determined thief may deliberately trigger an alarm and then wait nearby to see how long it takes the police to respond. Then the thief can return sometime later, with a good idea of how long it might take the police to get there.

The worst signs identify the burglar-alarm company -- a thief usually can get a schematic of the type of system and figure out how to bypass the alarm. Generic signs, which let thieves know that the house is monitored but don't name a company are better.

Better than stickers or alarms: Closed-circuit monitors at entrances and around the house. No thief wants to be caught on camera -- even wearing a mask. Be aware that nonfunctioning cameras can deter thieves, too.

Our inside source: Walter Shaw, security consultant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- and a former cat burglar.