During my tenure at BloggingStocks I have expressed my opinion often about the contribution that dividends make to your overall return. Most shrewd investors, and especially "my pal Warren," know this and understand why I re-emphasize the point when I make my annual selections.

By now I hope you have had a chance to peruse my picks for 2010. If not the links below will give you another opportunity.

The 5 data points were price-to-sales (P/S), price-to-book (P/B), price-to-cash flow (P/CF), dividend yield and return-on-equity (ROE). I did look at other things but these were the subject of my initial focus.

After reading an unbelievable sell recommendation by one of my BloggingStocks colleagues, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In Thirteen Dow stocks that are doomed, we are informed that 13 of the 30 are going down and we should all bail out before it is too late.

I find this silly on many levels. For one, 13 stocks amount to a large-cap index fund and since large-cap stocks have lagged the market the probability that they will outperform going forward is real and has many investors promoting them.

Home Depot (HD) is kind of a no-brainer. Home sales have trickled to nearly nothing, and with falling property values it doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense to add on that sun room you've always wanted.

The final nail in the coffin is weak consumer spending that is hurting retailers of all stripes. Until housing and consumer confidence both improve markedly, HD is a sell.

Next: Dog of the Dow #9: Kraft (KFT)

Broader economic indicators like GDP and housing numbers seem to be pointing up lately. But despite this, the Dow 30 are stuck in a death spiral. This arbitrary index of outdated stocks is a poor sample of Wall Street right now and just can't seem to get its act together.

Investors who place so much emphasis on the Dow Jones Industrial Average do so at their own peril. Not only are the Dow 30 very disconnected from Wall Street and the broader U.S. economy, this lineup also contains some of the worst stocks out there right now.

"We all know that, despite the big run-up recently, many stocks are still below their highs of a year or two ago," observes turnaround expert George Putnam.

In The Turnaround Letter, he suggests, "But what about some of the biggest, best known and best managed companies that are trading below where they were ten years ago? That's pretty tempting to us." Here, he looks at eight stocks that can now be bought at prices below their 1999 highs.

"Sure, late 1999 was the last gasp of the Internet bubble, and so that explains some of the tech names. But our list includes retail, beverage, entertainment, drug and other low-tech businesses.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Ann Taylor Stores Corp. (ANN) declining same-store sales offset better-than-expected Q3 earnings.
• Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ) reached a new 52-week high after Q3 results handily exceeded expectations.
• Dillard's Inc. (DDS) said that it swung to a Q3 profit due to cost cutting as revenue declined year over year.
• GameStop Corp. (GME) reported uninspiring Q3 numbers that included a slump in same-store sales.
• Home Depot Inc. (HD) lower Q3 earnings and revenue beat analysts' estimates, but shares still declined.

Also reporting earnings Tuesday morning was home-improvement retailer Home Depot (HD). The company announced that third-quarter earnings dropped 8.9% to 41 cents per share thanks to weak housing and home renovation markets. That was a nickel better than analysts' expectations.

Revenue dropped from a year ago as well, but the $16.36 billion in revenue was better than the expected $16.27 billion. The company also expects full-year earnings of $1.55 per share, which is better than the forecast $1.52 per share.

U.S. stock futures edged lower Tuesday morning following yet another strong rally on Monday. This morning, investors await some economic data due out before the opening bell, including an inflation gauge and a housing indicator. The housing market is further in focus with Home Depot's earnings report.

On Monday, stock markets closed about 1.4% higher across the board after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke didn't indicate a change in the Fed's policy any time soon to support the dollar. In fact, as the U.S. economy remains weak and unemployment keeps rising, the Fed will likely extend its low interest rate policy longer. He did mention the central bank policy will ensure that the "dollar is strong." The dollar edged higher from its 15-month lows following Bernanke's speech.

On the heels of last week's better-than-expected earnings results from retailers Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF), Kohl's Corp. (KSS), Macy's Inc. (M), Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) -- as well as disappointing numbers from Blockbuster Inc. (BBI) and JCPenney Co. Inc. (JCP) -- the coming week will bring results from more shopping- and strip-mall favorites.

TJX Companies Inc. (TJX), which operates T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores in the U.S., settled a class action, announced share buybacks and raised its guidance in the third quarter. For the three months that ended in October, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect TJX to report earnings of $0.80 per share, up from $0.57 in the same period of last year. Revenue is expected to total $5.3 billion, or 10.2% higher than a year ago. So far, the full-year forecast is for a profit of $2.59 per share (+22.3%) on $20.0 billion (+5.5%) in sales.