Some companies (like Wal-Mart) thrive despite recession

While many businesses struggle during the recession, a handful of U.S. and global companies — from health care giant Abbott Laboratories (ABT) to retail king Wal-Mart (WMT)— are riding out the financial storm in good shape.

And executives aren't shy about broadcasting that fact to analysts, investors and the media.

McDonald's (MCD) CEO Jim Skinner says the hamburger giant is "recession-resistant." Hermann Waldemer, chief financial officer at Philip Morris International (PM), calls the tobacco industry "very recession-resilient." Carter Keithley, president of the Toy Industry Association, also says toy products are "recession-resistant."

There's no such creature as a "recession-proof" company or sector. But some businesses appear to be recession-hardy, warding off the downturn with strong balance sheets, long-range planning and rising global sales of products and services that people want — even in scary economic times.

While the venture-capital industry suffers through one of its worst years ever, dozens of promising clean-tech and life-sciences start-ups are enjoying billions of dollars in funding. …