GE Light Burning Bright

GE broke to the upside last week. It's now trading near $17 a share. GE will release its 3rd quarter earnings Friday. Coca-Cola continues to climb, flirting with the $60 mark. Chevron (CVX) rising as well; it closed at $83.71 today. Walmart (WMT) is holding its own at $54.61. Could the world's biggest retailer challenge its 2010 high of $56.27?

AVI Biopharma has been disappointing; AVII is at $1.85 and going nowhere. I guess there's a reason it's trading below $2 a share. May be time to trade it in for a steady, dividend generating stock like, Hawkins (Chemicals) HWKN (1.56% dividend, stock price $38.48) or Calumet Specialty Products Partnership (CLMT), a pipeline concern (8.86% dividend, stock price $20.34).

Stocks are expected to move after tomorrow's release of the minutes to the Fed's September monetary policy meeting.