Some profit from the swine flu

TYLER-Rather than reaching for rubber gloves and face masks for protection, some investors are trying to expose their portfolios to the swine flu.

As health officials brace to see if the swine flu strain worsens, investors are looking for companies that might actually profit from the pandemic.

According to insiders, investors can make money and avoid losses when it comes to swine flu. Insiders say the secret is to own companies that will benefit directly regardless of the outbreak's severity. This includes companies that produce mainstream flu treatments or companies that develop vaccines targeted to swine flu.

Local investors we spoke to Tuesday said profiting from something like this can be tricky, but no doubt there is opportunity.

"If you really want to make quite a bit of money off of something like this than you have to buy smaller companies that perhaps make a vaccine and there are a number of small companies that are working on vaccines," Wachovia investor, Stephen Mills, said.

But some insiders say there's reason to be skeptical. Previous scares, such as mad cow disease and avian flu, only gave stocks a short-term boost until the hysteria faded.