Show Me the Cash

Some stock pickers like to look for themoney, which means they favor companiesthat have a lot of cash and short-terminvestments on hand. Cash helps a firmover rough spots in the economy, whichcan make its stock a safer pick. Probablythe most noted cash hoarder is Microsoft,which has $52.8 billion in its piggy bank,but General Motors, with $54.8 billion,has even more stored in its vaults, muchof it from the company's insurance andfinancing divisions. Other companieswith lots of cash in the cupboard includeWarren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway($36 billion) and Ford ($33.6 billion).ExxonMobil, Pfizer, General Electric,Intel, and Hewlett-Packard are sitting onstashes that range from $10.6 billion to$13.9 billion.