The Ravens will look for a more stable firm than PSINet, which was one of the first telecommunications upstarts to go belly up.

FORBES: Disposable Stadium Names

The boss of a firm in a stable or declining industry should probably not be paid in the same way as one in a fast-growing high-tech market.

ECONOMIST: Bosses' pay

Persistent relative strength in emerging economies, especially China, suggests that commodity prices will stay stable or firm.

ECONOMIST: The world economy

The firm also expected government policy to be relatively stable.

ECONOMIST: Matsushita��s Chinese burn

Zachary Conen, senior vice president of sales and marketing at LRA Worldwide, a mystery shopping firm based in Pennsylvania, says they maintain a stable of 120 full time consultants who travel 42 weeks out of the year.

CNN: Confessions of a hotel mystery shopper

As a global investment management firm, we recognize the importance of a responsible, stable fiscal path for the United States, which will encourage companies to invest in their businesses, restore investor confidence in the markets and put Americans back to work in a growing economy.

FORBES: Austerity And Bankruptcy Not The Only Fiscal Cliff Endgames

FactSet Research Systems (FDS) : Like Global Payments, this Connecticut-based firm gets a piece of the financial sector in a more stable way than lenders or insurers.

FORBES: Three Financials Buffett And Combs Would Buy

In the case of Apple, the decision as to what to do with its cash is tied up with a broader discussion about whether the company is transforming itself from being a growth stock - a highly innovative firm that reinvests its profits in expansion and new products - into a mature company with a stable business that pays a regular dividend.

BBC: Tim Cook