Manufacturers Make Responsible Cut

Several manufacturers are included in a new stock portfolio for socially responsible investors introduced by New York-based Merrill-Lynch. Called the Principled Values Portfolio, it is composed of 25 stocks selected by Merrill-Lynch and the consulting firm of Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini & Co., Cambridge, Mass. The companies chosen had to meet certain criteria regarding environmental safety, community involvement, product safety, attention to diversity, as well as earning little or no revenue from tobacco, alcohol, gambling, military contracting, and nuclear power.

Among the companies represented in the portfolio are Mattel Inc., Maytag Corp., Johnson & Johnson, Schering-Plough Corp., Kellogg Co., Quaker Oats Co.; Dow Jones & Co. Inc.; Avery Dennison Corp., McDonald's Corp., Southwest Airlines Co., and Fifth Third Bancorp.