Kleenex-maker Kimberly-Clark's stock is nothing to sneeze at

At first blush you'd think Kimberly-Clark (KMB) couldn't loose. In both good times and bad, people need Kleenex tissues, Huggies diapers and Scott paper towels.

Of course there's plenty of competition from powerhouse Procter & Gamble (PG) (Charmin, Pampers, Bounty), not to mention store brands. And rising commodity costs are a concern (the super-absorbent polymers that make diapers so effective are synthesized, ultimately, from oil.)