Categories of Stock

Blue Chip - High grade, high quality companies, major corporations, usually well established and have a track record of paying dividends and increasing earnings. An example would be General Electric (GE)
Defensive - Businesses which seem resistant to recession for example utility companies.
Income - Pays a higher than average dividend. Investors who seek consistent income that is higher than average would buy income stocks.
Growth - Market share, earnings and sales are expanding at a rate faster than average. Dividends are usually small because earnings are being reinvested back into the company for growth. Many technology companies are growth stocks.
Seasonal -Earnings fluctuate with the calendar and changing seasons. Retail stores are often seasonal.
Cyclical -Businesses such as automobile manufacturing and steel are cyclical. Earnings and stock price tend to fluctuate with the business cycles. Not the same as seasonal because the business cycle is not always in a one year cycle.