U.S. stocks sit midway between rich reward and punishment. If the economy continues to heal and, as Wall Street analysts predict, company profits hit a new record next year, then the Dow Jones Industrial Average can be expected to return to its former peak, too. That would make for a gain of 40% or so from today s levels. If, however, recent signs of recovery turn out to have been an economic head-fake brought on by lavish stimulus programs, and the Dow plunges to its 2009 low, stock investors stand to lose about 35%.

Investors who find the bulls and bears equally persuasive might wish to focus their stock hunting on companies like the three listed below. Each has posted handsome increases in sales and profits of late -- just the thing the market tends to reward when shares are broadly rising. Each also pays a dividend yield of greater than 3%, versus about 2% for the S&P 500 index, providing a stream of cash that can be reinvested into more shares if prices tumble. Moreover, each has increased its dividend payments at a healthy pace over the past five years.

Leggett & Platt

Dividend yield: 4.6%
Sales growth last quarter: 14%

Leggett & Platt, based in Carthage, Mo., makes durable goods like carpet underlay, steel tubing and components for home furniture, office furniture, bedding and car seats. Just under two-thirds of its sales are linked to residential customers, but the company seems in much better shape than the housing market. Its sales are expected to increase 10% this year and its earnings per share, more than 60%. Since late 2007 the company has eliminated low-return businesses with the goal of increasing its cash flow and dividend payments and achieving stock returns that rank among the top one-third of S&P 500 stocks. Its shares have gained 30% since the start of 2008, compared with just under 20% for the S&P 500 index.

Intel

Dividend yield: 3%
Sales growth last quarter: 44%

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel's fastest growth days seem over, considering how it already dominates its core business of supplying computer processors. Nonetheless, the company says it expects to grow its earnings per share at a percentage rate in the low teens over the next few years, versus the midsingle-digits, on average, over five years ended 2008. Corporations are starting to replace computer fleets after two years of delaying upgrades. Meanwhile, a new version of Windows and good reviews for Intel's new line of laptop chips are giving consumers reasons to buy, too. This year, the company's earnings per share are expected to more than double. Its stock trades at just 11 times the 2010 earnings forecast. The company sits on net cash equal to more than 10% of its stock market value.

Nucor

Dividend yield: 3.4%
Sales growth last quarter: 38%

The nation's largest steelmaker, Charlotte, N.C.-based Nucor owns about two-dozen modern, scrap-based plants that require fewer workers and less energy than older plants, giving the company a lower cost of production. In recent years, Nucor has bought scrap brokers to achieve greater control over its raw material costs. Last year's recession caused steel demand and prices to tumble, but prices have since recovered and analysts say customer steel inventories are low. Sales for Nucor this year are expected to jump 48%. The stock trades at about 25 times this year's forecast earnings per share, but only around 11 times early forecasts for next year. Nucor's goal is to increase its export sales this year in response to faster demand growth in emerging economies than in developed ones.