Barron's Picks And Pans: Chevron, Corning, GlaxoSmithKline And More

• This weekend's Barron's examines why things may be looking up for one big oil company.
• Other featured articles offer the prospects for a big drug maker facing stiff competition and a glassmaker that may see growing demand.
• Also, the first FANG component to offer a dividend and what retailers face after the holidays.

"'Tis the Season for Chevron" by Ben Levisohn points out that the spending plans of oil giant Chevron Corporation CVX may be toward the low end of its previous guidance, but it has started to reap benefits from big projects that had been consuming cash since 2011. Will that be enough for Chevron to raise its dividend by 5 percent each year and keep buying back its shares?

Jack Hough's "Glaxo: Expect a Speedy Recovery" suggests that new generic competition for a key asthma treatment from GlaxoSmithKline plc GSK may slow revenues, but it won't stop the drugmaker's progress. See why Barron's believes that despite an earnings hit in the coming year, the share price could rise more than 40 percent over the next two years, including dividends.

In "Corning Shares Could Gain More Than 25%," Leslie P. Norton makes a case that Corning Incorporated GLW shares could rally as demand grows for the company's optical fiber, LCD-panel glass and Gorilla Glass. Its shares have marched higher for the past two years, but see why Barron's thinks its prospects look even brighter as the company's new businesses bear fruit.

See also: How Could You Follow Warren Buffett's Career Path Nowadays?

A huge cash hoard and possible limits to its growth mean Facebook, Inc. FB is likely to be the first FANG stock to offer a dividend, according to "Why Facebook May Consider a Cash Dividend" by Jon Swartz. See why Barron's believes that investors could start to see a return perhaps as early as 2019, and how it might compare to other tech giants that already pay out.

In Jack Hough's follow-up article, "Holiday Rally Hasn't Solved Retail's Problems," see why though retail stocks finished with a flourish in 2017, J C Penney Company Inc JCP, Macy's Inc M and others still face big obstacles. And see why this may present an opportunity for investors to let go of all but the likeliest long-term winners in the sector.

Also in this week's Barron's:

• How to prepare for inflation in 2018
• Bitcoin and other 2018 tech trends to watch
• The winners and losers of 2017
• The 17th annual forecasting challenge
• Four bond funds for the new year
• How to ride a rally in commodities
• The link between economic security and national security
• Why lead is dead