Recession-proof no longer: Tobacco, soda and name-brand cereal all had a bad year. The tough outlook for U.S. and Russian tobacco markets forced rjr Nabisco to take a $390 million pretax charge and cut 4,200 jobs. November's $206 billion tobacco industry settlement to be paid over 25 years will hurt sales, too, although the lawyers' fees will, of course, just be passed along to smokers. Coca-Cola, Warren Buffett's favorite growth stock, was expected to post a 25% decline in fourth-quarter profit. Private-label cereal continued to hurt Kellogg.
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