Updating Our Conservative Stocks Toyota Motor Corp. ADRs, Wachovia Corp. and C.R. Bard Inc.

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TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. ADRs $124 (New York symbol TM) has sold roughly 1 million hybrid vehicles in the past 10 years. It now aims to sell 1 million hybrids annually, which will help it comply with stricter emission standards. Hybrids still account for less than 5% of Toyota’s production, but its leadership in this field gives it an advantage over other carmakers. Buy. WACHOVIA CORP. $52 (New York symbol WB) will probably complete its acquisition of brokerage firm A.G. Edwards in the next few months, now that anti-trust regulators have approved the deal. Competition for high-quality financial advisors among brokerage firms is growing, and this deal expands Wachovia’s risk. But Wachovia can profit greatly by cross-marketing its other services to A.G. Edwards’ high-quality clientele. Buy. C.R. BARD INC. $82 (New York symbol BCR) has raised its dividend for 36 consecutive years. The new quarterly dividend of $0.15 a share, up 7.1% from $0.14, implies an annual rate of $0.60 (0.7% yield). Buy…