Big, new single-family houses are looking more inviting as the pandemic puts a premium on living space, Andrew Bary writes in this week's edition of Barron's. As the nation's largest luxury-home builder, Toll Brothers is ideally positioned to take advantage of this shift toward bigger, more expensive housing, the analyst notes, adding that its stock, in contrast to its inventory, is inexpensive. Reference Link

Investors looking to make a bet on an industrial bounce back could do worse than buy 3M, Ben Levisohn writes in this week's edition of Barron's. Its stock has dropped 7.9% over the past 12 months, the author notes. But with 3M scheduled to report earnings later this month, the stock could be set for a move higher, he argues. Reference Link

Just over twenty years ago, Pat Gelsinger became Intel's (INTC) first-ever chief technology officer and now he is back, with the CEO job he presumably wanted all along, Max Cherney writes in this week's edition of Barron's. Gelsinger has his work cut out for him, the author adds, noting that a series of manufacturing problems at Intel have allowed rivals AMD (AMD) and Nvidia (NVDA) to take share in key chip markets. Gelsinger's appointment is a step in the right direction, but a rebound will still take time, the publication contends. Reference Link

Business continues to get worse for GameStop (GME), with the videogame retailer saying that its holiday sales were down 3.1%, Connor Smith writes in this week's edition of Barron's. Nonetheless, shares rose a stunning 101% on the week. The trigger for the rally seemed to be news Monday that Chewy (CHWY) co-founder Ryan Cohen would be joining GameStop's board of directors, along with two former Chewy executives, the author notes. GameStop was primed for a short squeeze, in which short sellers faced with high borrowing costs and accumulating losses are forced to buy shares to cover their bearish bet, he argues, adding that the rush to buy can lead to nosebleed pops, until reality sets in. Reference Link