PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. $79 - New York symbol PG

PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. $79 (New York symbol PG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 2.7 billion; Market cap: $213.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.7; Dividend yield: 3.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.pg.com) recently raised its quarterly dividend by 7.0%, to $0.6015 a share from $0.562. The new annual rate of $2.41 yields 3.1%. Procter has increased its payout every year for the past 57 years.

Procter & Gamble is a buy.

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.