By anyone's reckoning, it was a rough week.  Crude oil continued its relentless climb; banks and brokerages gave hints of more discouraging news; government data pointed to a weak economy; even strong companies like Nike, Oracle, and Research In Motion issued cautious guidance; and Federal Reserve policymakers, widely perceived as powerless to help, left interest rates unchanged.  But all week, even through the worst of the market's sell-offs, CNBC guests offered

Among the stock activity stories for Thursday, June 26, from AP Financial News:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merck & Co <MRK.N>, Nike Inc <NKE.N> and General Mills Inc <GIS.N> are among 15 health-care and consumer products companies best positioned to profit from an effort to combat the growing obesity epidemic, Credit Suisse analysts said in a report on Thursday.

Merck & Co <MRK.N>, Nike Inc <NKE.N> and General Mills Inc <GIS.N> are among 15 health-care and consumer products companies best positioned to profit from an effort to combat the growing obesity epidemic, Credit Suisse analysts said in a report on Thursday.

Shares of Nike Inc. dropped on Thursday after the athletic footwear and apparel maker reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit rose, but acknowledged a difficult consumer environment in the U.S.

Among the earnings stories for Wednesday, June 25, from AP Financial News:

Athletic shoe and apparel company Nike Inc. says strong growth overseas, particularly in Asia, helped boost its fourth-quarter profit by 12 percent.

Athletic shoe and apparel company Nike Inc. said Wednesday that strong growth overseas, particularly in Asia, helped boost its fourth-quarter profit by 12 percent.

By Alexandria Sage

Nike Inc <NKE.N> stressed on Wednesday that it was still a growth company even as U.S. weakness spooked investors, sending shares down 5 percent on a day when the world's largest athletic shoe and apparel maker posted strong international results.

Nike Inc. reports earnings for the fiscal fourth quarter on Wednesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

China remains the most popular destination for foreign industrial investment in the world, attracting almost $83 billion last year. But a growing number of multinational corporations are pursuing a strategy that companies and analysts call “China plus one,” establishing or expanding Asian bases outside China, particularly in Vietnam.

Unfortunately, for a huge number of companies across the world, the English national football team is not very good and has failed to qualify for Euro 2008, which kicks off in Switzerland on Saturday.

There are a lot of baby boomers out there and there's a lot of potential money to be made off of their retirement. Just be prepared to apply unconventional thinking to fit the habits of nontraditional people.

Where do you put your money now? CNBC asked the experts what stocks they would pick